According to Gabonreview, at the Council of Ministers of 30 May 2025, the Gabonese government decided to ban exports of raw manganese from 1 January 2029. The outlet describes Gabon as the world's second largest producer of this ore.
Also according to Gabonreview, a three-year transition period is granted to operators in the sector to make the investments needed for local processing. The stated aim is to move from an extraction economy to a processing economy, building national skills and public revenue.
According to Gabonreview, several support measures are being considered: a public-private investment fund dedicated to manganese processing, targeted tax incentives, a national training programme (metallurgy, maintenance, logistics, energy), stronger energy infrastructure and more resources for the National Investment Promotion Agency (ANPI-Gabon). The decision follows the ban on raw log exports adopted in 2010.
