Officials at Australia’s Tiger Resources have rectified media reports citing negative impacts related to the copper and cobalt concentrate export bans from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where its Kipoi copper project is located.
The Kinshasa government announced in Q2 2013 that it would prevent miners from exporting copper and cobalt concentrates beyond DRC borders, at which point The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age reported the ban was for “exports of copper and cobalt” and would “greatly affect Tiger’s operations.”
Editors at Australia’s Fairfax Media Pty, which owns both publications, have since changed online versions of the articles and printed clarifications in both newspapers.
According to Tiger representatives, the company currently sells more than 80% of its concentrate to smelters within the DRC, given a robust domestic demand. The remainder is sold to a Zambian smelter with support of DRC officials.
Once the second phase of Tiger’s solvent extraction electrowinning plant comes online by Q3 2014, the company will produce copper cathode in another government-backed operation.
