Mali Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in mali, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Select Country Guide
Mining
Last published date:

Mali was the second largest [TS1] [C(2] gold producer in Africa in 2024, producing 51 tons. Gold is by far Mali’s largest export, comprising nearly 80 percent of Mali’s total exports in 2024. The price of gold fluctuates with the world market price, but recent upward trends have helped bolster Mali’s revenue. In addition to commercial mining operations, artisanal gold panning is estimated to produce as much as 60 tons annually. More than two million people (5 percent of the population) depend on the mining sector for income.

Mali has also formalized and streamlined the process of registering and delivering research and exploitation permits to mining companies. The government had placed a moratorium on issuing new mining and exploration permits in 2022, but that suspension was partially removed in March 2025, creating new opportunities for foreign investment in the mining sector.

In 2023, Mali adopted a new mining code requiring the State and local investors to have up to a 35 percent [TS3] stake in mining operations, an increase from the previous 20 percent. The funds generated by increased State ownership are intended to support various public initiatives. However, the implementation of the code and associated laws have provoked disputes between the government and some established mining companies, which had been operating under the provisions of the previous mining code. High-profile company employees, including CEOs, have been arrested or threatened with arrest.
 

Table: Gold Exports

 

2020

2021

2022

 2023

 2024

Total Exports

$3.2 billion

$3.7 billion

$4 billion

 $4.6 billion

 $4.3 billion

Source:  International Monetary Fund

Leading Sub-sectors

In addition to gold, lithium mining is the most advanced sub-sector in terms of industrial exploitation. The Goulamina and Bougouni lithium mines, once fully operational, will place Mali [TS4] among the largest African lithium producers. The transition government expects lithium mining to help diversify Mali’s exports and revenue sources.

Mali’s mineral resources are largely untapped. The National Directorate for Geology and Mines estimated in 2022 [C(5] that Mali has

  • 2,000 tons of gold deposits
  • 40 million tons of limestone
  • 10 billion tons of shale
  • 2 billion tons of iron ore
  • 11 thousand tons of uranium
  • 10 million tons of manganese
  • 5.8 billion tons of lithium
  • 1.2 billion tons of bauxite
  • 2.4 million carats of diamond
  • 53 million tons of rock salt
  • 60 million tons of marble
  • some indications of copper.

Opportunities

As the government seeks to reduce its dependency on gold and diversify the mining sector, foreign firms have a unique opportunity to support expansion into other mining sub-sectors, via mining exploration and development[TS6] [C(7] , exports of mining equipment, and development of infrastructure to support mining off-take processing and export.

Resources

×

Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

Privacy Program | Information Quality Guidelines | Accessibility