Although Congolese law stipulates that mineral depots should be registered and operated only by Congolese nationals, almost all depots in Haut-Katanga and Lualaba Provinces are operated by Chinese buyers. Artisanal production accounts for up to 30 percent of all cobalt mined in the DRC, although the number could be even higher, as there is no accurate way to disaggregate artisanal from industrial production.
