South African port authority seeks to revoke decision to reopen Durban port for metal exports

The South African port authority is looking to reserve Durban port for the shipment of essential goods only, revoking a separate statement by the country’s maritime authority to allow processing of metals cargoes during the 21-day lockdown, Fastmarkets has learned.

The Transnet National Ports Authority, TNPA, insisted on April 1 that the current arrangements for usage of the busiest port in sub-Saharan Africa remained unchanged, according to information seen by Fastmarkets.

Metal exports of copper, cobalt and other metal products have been banned from the port since March 23.

No official statement has been published by TNPA yet.

The response came after the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) filed a marine notice on March 31 saying all cargoes can be loaded and offloaded at all ports of the country.

The conflicting statements over usage of Durban port have garnered widespread attention because the blocked port access has led to multiple month-long delivery delays to Asia. Copper products from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia – the two biggest copper-producing countries in Africa – have been diverted to Beira Port in Mozambique, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and Walvis Bay port in Namibia due to the lockdown.

What to read next
Quarterly figures released by global miner Glencore on Wednesday October 30 showed that zinc concentrate output was dropping in a tight market while overall nickel output was down despite an increase in briquettes.
On Thursday October 24, the US Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released the final rules regarding the Section 45X credits under the US Internal Revenues Code. The final rules clarify definitions and confirm credit amounts for eligible components, including solar and wind energy, inverters, qualifying battery components and applicable critical minerals. […]
Nickel premiums remained stable worldwide, with the London Metal Exchange's three-month nickel price hitting its lowest point since mid-September.
Imports of cobalt intermediates have continued to rise in China, with January-September volumes already exceeding that of the entire previous year. This excessive inflow has led to an enduring oversupply in the domestic cobalt market, sources have told Fastmarkets
Market participants disagreed over the cause of the long queues to withdraw aluminium from London Metal Exchange-registered warehouses at Port Klang in Malaysia, Fastmarkets heard on Thursday October 17
Copper concentrate treatment charges (TCs) are expected to remain low in 2025, with the market likely to remain tight, sources from across the industry told Fastmarkets.