On April 21, Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. released its first quarter report for 2026. During the reporting period, the company achieved operating revenue of 98.498 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 24.79% compared to 78.928 billion yuan in the same period last year; total profit reached 31.584 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 115.03%; net profit was 25.166 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 101.90%. In the lithium segment, the company achieved lithium carbonate equivalent production of 16,000 tons. Several lithium mine projects are steadily ramping up capacity, and the northeastern project of the Manono Lithium Mine is expected to be completed and commence production in June 2026.

The lithium mine Zijin Mining Group Co. plans to open this year in the Democratic Republic of Congo is set to be one of the world’s biggest suppliers of the battery metal.The Chinese company – which has grown at breakneck speed to become a top producer of copper and gold – has been developing the Manono lithium project in southeastern Congo since it secured the prized deposit in 2023.

According to people familiar with the matter, in January 2026 officials from the White House and the U.S. State Department urged Australia’s AVZ Minerals Ltd. to sell its interest in the Manono lithium deposit in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to a U.S. company. The move is seen as part of Washington’s effort to strengthen control over critical-minerals supply chains. The only U.S. company publicly known to have expressed interest is KoBold Metals, though its offer is considered too low and no agreement has been reached. Meanwhile, the Congolese government revoked AVZ’s mining permit and granted part of the concession to China’s Zijin Mining Group, further complicating ownership of the project. AVZ is currently seeking to restore its rights through international arbitration.

Recently, Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. issued an announcement on its three-year (2026-2028) production plan for major mineral products and its long-term vision outline for 2035. The announcement shows that the production of ore-derived zinc (lead) reached 400,000 mt in 2025, is expected to remain flat at 400,000 mt in 2026, and is planned to reach 400,000-450,000 mt in 2028.

Against the backdrop of the accelerating global energy transition and carbon neutrality goals, the strategic importance of key battery raw materials such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium is becoming increasingly prominent. Geopolitical tensions, uneven resource distribution, fluctuations in international trade policies, and the rapid expansion of the new energy industry chain are profoundly impacting the global supply landscape and pricing systems of nickel, cobalt, and lithium resources. How to build a more stable, transparent, and efficient supply chain system has become a core issue of concern for the entire lithium battery industry.

China’s Zijin Mining Group (HKG: 2899) has become the world’s third-largest mining company by value after surpassing $100 billion in market capitalization for the first time at Thursday’s close.

On August 26, Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Zijin Mining") released its 2025 semi-annual report.

[Trafigura Group Pre-pays $200 Million to Acquire Copper Anode from Ivanhoe's Congo Mine] Trafigura Group agreed to pay $200 million to acquire copper anode from a smelter owned by Ivanhoe Mines Limited in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is expected to commence production in September. In a statement, Ivanhoe said that Trafigura Group had signed the prepayment agreement last month. The deal indicates that as competition for supply intensifies, global trading companies, from Mercuria Energy Group to Vitol Group, are continuing to invest funds to secure future copper supplies. The statement revealed that the world's largest copper trader will acquire 20% of the anode from the Congo smelter over three years, with interest payable at the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) plus 3.75%. Ivanhoe's joint venture partners - China's CITIC Metal Co., Ltd. and Zijin Mining Group - will hold the remaining 80%.