Glencore’s (LON:GLEN) offices in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been sealed off by local tax authorities, escalating an ongoing dispute in payments owed to the state, according to Bloomberg.
The tax agency, DGI, shut Glencore’s Kamoto Copper offices, sources say, though the closure has not yet impacted production at the company’s nearby mines and processing facilities.
DGI says Glencore owes billions of dollars to the state and the raid follows unsuccessful talks between the two parties. Glencore is disputing the claims made by DGI and notes that it will continue to work with the relevant authorities to settle the matter.
The DRC is the second-largest global producer of copper and the top producer of cobalt, with the Kamoto complex being one of the largest producers of both metals.
Glencore holds a 70% stake in Kamoto, which posted 2025 production rates of 190,000 tonnes, with a goal to reach an eventual annual output of 300,000 tonnes. The government of the DRC owns the remaining 30%.
As previously reported, in February 2026, Glencore and the Orion Critical Mineral Consortium entered a non-binding memorandum of understanding for Orion to acquire a 40% stake in Glencore’s assets in the DRC, including Kamoto Copper and Mutanda Mining. The transaction has not yet closed.
Glencore is a multinational commodity trading and mining company with assets around the world.
Write to Amy Rotman at Mining.com.au
Images: Glencore DRC
