Study suggests up to 5,000 tons of hidden uranium slipped into China's cobalt imports from the DRC

A new analysis published in Nature Communications claims that between 2,000 and 5,000 metric tons of uranium, never reported to the International Atomic Energy Agency, were extracted alongside cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Copperbelt region from 2000 to 2024. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Princeton University, explains that uranium naturally rides with cobalt ore and can remain in the product unless specifically removed during processing.

Because roughly 95% of DRC cobalt is refined in China, the investigators estimate that most of the hidden uranium also reached Chinese facilities. They highlight that the volume could power a light-water reactor for decades or, if further refined, supply material for hundreds of nuclear warheads, though no evidence of deliberate diversion was found. The paper urges a comprehensive audit of DRC mining practices, stricter separation rules, and enhanced international oversight to prevent both proliferation and environmental contamination from tailings.