Zimbabwe chrome ore ban forces trucks to return home

Trucks carrying chrome ore to Zimbabwe’s ports have been forced to return to the mines following the government’s export ban on raw ore commodities, said the head of the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ).

Last month, Mining Minister Polite Kambamura announced the immediate ban on exports of chrome ore, lithium and other raw materials, including those in transit, in a bid to promote local beneficiation and prevent illegal trade.
“Unfortunately according to the Minister’s directive, if it was raw chrome in transit it was not supposed to proceed,” said MMCZ’s General Manager Nomusa Jane Moyo. “Any truck that had not yet cross the boarder could not make it to port.”

MMCZ was continuing to export chrome concentrate and ferro chrome without any issues, she said. It isn’t clear how long the ban on chrome ore and other raw ore material will be in place.
“We have not received a timeline on when the Minister will lift this ban because they don’t want people to plan ahead or bypass it,” she said.