A multibillion-dollar tax dispute between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Glencore has intensified at one of the world’s most strategic copper and cobalt mines, raising fresh questions over a proposed US-backed investment aimed at securing critical minerals outside China’s supply chain.
Congolese tax authorities last week sealed offices at Kamoto Copper Company (KCC), the mining complex operated by Glencore in Kolwezi, after negotiations over an alleged tax liability failed to produce a settlement.
The enforcement action marks the latest escalation in a dispute that has simmered for months. While the move targeted administrative offices, Glencore says mining and processing operations continue uninterrupted, limiting the immediate impact on production.
The company also said it remains engaged in discussions with the Congolese government to resolve the matter.
At the centre of the dispute are allegations by the DRC’s Direction Générale des Impôts (DGI) that Glencore used transfer pricing arrangements to reduce taxable income from its Congolese operations.
