Zimbabwe’s government has acknowledged a significant gap in its critical-mineral oversight: border authorities currently lack scanning technology capable of detecting undeclared rare earth elements (REEs) in export shipments. The admission came during a parliamentary session in which lawmakers pressed Mines Minister Polite Kambamura (opens in a new tab) about the possibility that rare earth minerals could be quietly exported alongside other commodities—particularly lithium.

For now, the government relies on laboratory testing of mineral consignments before they reach border checkpoints, cites The Zimbabwean (opens in a new tab). Officials say scanners will eventually be deployed and internationally recognized laboratories established along key transport corridors. Until those systems are operational, however, authorities are largely dependent on mining companies voluntarily declaring the mineral composition of their exports.

Polite Kambamura, Minister of Mines, Zimbabwe

Source: Facebook

The exchange highlights a structural challenge facing many emerging mining jurisdictions: monitoring complex mineral exports requires far more than policy declarations. It requires technical infrastructure, data, and specialized expertise.

The Geological Reality: Potential vs. Proven Supply

Zimbabwe is not currently a major rare earth producer, though the country is better known for significant lithium deposits that have drawn global investment in recent years. Rare earth occurrences are known within parts of the region’s alkaline complexes and carbonatite systems, but confirmed large-scale REE production remains limited.

Minister Kambamura also acknowledged that Zimbabwe still relies heavily on historical geological surveys to estimate the country’s rare earth potential. The government plans to conduct a new aeromagnetic geophysical survey, which could provide more accurate mapping of mineral structures and possible REE-bearing formations.

This matters because rare earth deposits are difficult to identify and quantify. Without modern exploration data, discussions about “losing rare earths” can easily run ahead of the geological evidence.

The Smuggling Narrative: Plausible, but Technically Complicated

Some lawmakers suggested rare earth minerals could be hidden inside lithium shipments. In certain geological settings, this is technically possible. Trace amounts of rare earth minerals can occur in pegmatites and other lithium-bearing formations.

However, the idea of large volumes of economically valuable rare-earth material being smuggled in this way warrants caution. Rare earth ores generally require specialized beneficiation and chemical processing before they become commercially valuable.

In short, rare earths are not gold nuggets that can simply be slipped into a cargo container.

What This Story Really Reveals About the Supply Chain

Zimbabwe’s situation illustrates a broader pattern across emerging mineral economies.

Many countries possess potential rare earth resources, yet lack three critical pillars:

• Modern geological mapping
• Advanced export verification technology
• Domestic processing and refining capability

Even if significant rare earth deposits were confirmed in Zimbabwe, another obstacle would remain. China currently controls roughly 85–90% of global rare earth separation and refining capacity, giving it extraordinary leverage over the downstream supply chain.

Italy Interest

Rare Earth Exchanges™ reported recently that Italy has signaled diplomatic interest in Zimbabwe’s rare earth potential, with Ambassador Giuseppe Giacalone describing the country as offering “interesting opportunities” for critical mineral development. According to that account, Zimbabwe does host rare earth occurrences in carbonatite and alkaline complexes such as the Shawa deposit and exploration sites like the Katete Project, and junior miners—including Premier African Minerals—are actively evaluating these resources. 

However, the country currently lacks commercial-scale rare earth processing, refining, and downstream manufacturing, meaning it is not yet a meaningful contributor to global rare earth supply chains. 

And at the same time, Chinese investors dominate Zimbabwe’s mining sector—controlling an estimated 90% of projects, particularly in lithium and other critical minerals—making any European entry complex. 

A 2025 policy paper (opens in a new tab) by Farai Nyika and Meshel Muzuva further argued Zimbabwe should nationalize rare earths and prioritize domestic beneficiation, aiming to build local industrial capacity rather than export raw materials. Overall, Italy’s comments appear to represent early diplomatic positioning rather than concrete investment, highlighting Europe’s growing search for alternative rare earth sources while underscoring that Zimbabwe’s future role will depend less on geology and more on governance, infrastructure, and industrial policy.

REEx Takeaway

The latest headline on a porous border hints at a looming mineral heist. The deeper story is less dramatic—but far more instructive. Zimbabwe’s admission highlights a familiar dynamic in the global critical-minerals race: policy ambition often outruns geological knowledge and industrial capacity.

For investors and policymakers alike, the lesson is clear. In the rare earth industry, the real bottleneck is rarely a border checkpoint. The true chokepoints lie deeper in the supply chain—from exploration and value-added beneficiation to solvent-extraction separation chemistry. That is where the global rare earth contest will ultimately be decided.