Congo's government has lifted an order requiring a joint venture of Chinese investors to stop exporting raw copper and cobalt. 

Democratic Republic of Congo's mines minister Martin Kabwelulu last month ordered one of the country's largest copper producers, to only export processed metals because they command higher values on international markets. According to Reuters, Kabwelulu said high-value exports were needed to pay off billions of dollars in infrastructure and mining investments majority shareholders, as part of a minerals-for-infrastructure deal first signed in 2007.