Zambia raised the stakes in its fight with Glencore Plc, threatening to strip the company of its copper mines in the southern African country.
Glencore said last week it needs to close shafts at Mopani Copper Mines due to falling metal prices, disrupted logistics and travel restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. It pressed ahead with the move in defiance of the government, which described the closure as illegal.
“They’ve been given seven days to show why their license should not be canceled or revoked,” Mines Ministry Permanent Secretary Barnaby Mulenga said by phone. A Glencore spokesman declined to comment, though the company said earlier Tuesday it was in talks with the government about a way forward.