KINSHASA, July 11 (Reuters) - Democratic Republic of Congohas delayed until year-end a ban on exports of copper and cobaltconcentrates designed to encourage miners to refine the redmetal within its borders, a senior Mining Ministry official saidon Thursday.
Several emerging resource-rich nations have sought todiscourage export of concentrates - the intermediate productsthat feed smelters and refiners - to shift production tohigher-value finished metals.
Congo, one of Africa's top copper producers, ordered the banin April but gave mining companies 90 days to clear theirstockpiles.
"The moratorium on the ban on exporting copper and cobaltconcentrate has been prolonged until December 31," said ValeryMukasa, chief of staff to Mining Minister Martin Kabwelulu.
Many in the industry say the ban is unrealistic as acuteelectricity shortages in Congo severely hamper processingactivities.
Congo attempted to introduce similar rules in 2007 and 2010but each time the decision was reversed.
The powerful governor of Congo's copper-producing Katangaprovince, Moise Katumbi, has said he will not enforce themeasure.
The ban is unlikely to affect major producers such asFreeport McMoRan and commodities trader Glencore, which already process the bulk of their copper insidethe country.
Kazakh miner ENRC, which exports concentrate to beprocessed across the border in Zambia, is likely to be among thecompanies hardest hit by the ban. It is commissioning a newmine, Frontier, that will produce 40,000 tonnes of copper inconcentrate in 2013.
Other miners currently exporting concentrate include MawsonWest and Tiger Resources.
