The Minister of Foreign Trade, Julien Paluku Kahongya, and the British Ambassador to the DRC, Zoë Ware, proceeded on Tuesday, September 22, to operationalize this mechanism intended to facilitate access for Congolese products to the British market.
99.8% of products exempted
According to Congolese authorities, 99.8% of products “made in DRC” exported to the United Kingdom now benefit from an exemption from customs duties. This measure constitutes an advantage for Congolese producers and exporters, particularly those operating in non-mining sectors.
For Kinshasa, the objective is to transform this preferential access into new trade opportunities and to contribute to the diversification of exports. The mechanism is intended to enable Congolese companies to better position themselves on the British market and, more broadly, to strengthen the presence of local products internationally.
The challenge of standards
Access to the British market nevertheless remains conditional on compliance with requirements regarding quality, conformity and sanitary and phytosanitary standards.
With this in mind, the Ministry of Foreign Trade plans to strengthen support for Congolese producers and exporters. A memorandum of understanding with the British Standards Institution (BSI) is notably being considered to develop national capacities in standardization and conformity.
The digitalization of certain one-stop border posts is also among the measures announced to facilitate trade.
A lever for exports
Beyond the customs exemption, Kinshasa intends to make this partnership a lever for economic diversification. The challenge will now be to enable Congolese companies to meet the standards of the British market, improve their competitiveness and increase their export capacities.
For the DRC, the challenge is therefore to convert this preferential access into sustainable commercial outlets for “made in DRC.”
Héritier Maila / Ministry of Foreign Trade DRC
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