Congo's cobalt export controls risk supply shock

The Democratic Republic of Congo, which supplies most of the world's cobalt, has been controlling its exports.

They first stopped exports completely and then introduced a quota system.

This has led to higher cobalt prices, but it's also causing problems for the supply chain, especially in China.

China needs cobalt to make batteries for electric vehicles, but the delays in exports are making it harder for them to get the material they need.

At the same time, the demand for cobalt in electric vehicle batteries is not growing as fast as before because new types of batteries that don't need cobalt are becoming more popular.

Congo wants to use its control over cobalt to manage the market better, but they need to be careful not to cause too much disruption.