Country export capability

Democratic Republic of the Congo
export capability

A reported view of Democratic Republic of the Congo's export scale, destination network, sector breadth, trade history, and market-access context. Use the indicators together; no single measure describes export readiness on its own.

COD1995-2024 coverage270 active partner marketsMacro trend resilient
Latest exports$37.3B2024 reported value
Latest imports$19.8B2024 reported value
Trade balance$17.4BExports minus imports
Export growth+22.9%Latest year-on-year change
Active partners270Latest reported markets

Country export profile overview

Democratic Republic of the Congo export data in one research view

This profile brings together export performance, trade balance, destination markets, HS2 sectors, partner breadth, history, and market-access context for country export research.

Export scale and balance

Start with the latest reported trade position

In 2024, Democratic Republic of the Congo recorded $37.3B in exports and $19.8B in imports. The resulting $17.4B trade balance gives the latest country-level position a clear context.

Exports changed +22.9% year on year and show a calculated +16.1% three-year CAGR. CAGR is an annualized comparison of reported values, not a forecast.

Markets and sectors

See where export value is concentrated

China received $19.8B in reported exports, representing 53.2% of the latest country total. Copper was the largest displayed HS2 export sector at $23.8B and 64% of exports.

The visible page highlights five leading destinations and five leading HS2 sectors, while the complete structured files retain every row supplied for this sample.

History and coverage

Read today's number against the long series

The country series covers 1995 through 2024, with 30 observed annual rows. That longer view helps separate a single-year movement from the broader export trend.

Partner counts, tariff context, concentration, exposure shares, and momentum are supporting indicators calculated from available trade observations. Missing values remain unavailable rather than estimated.

Economy and structure

The context around Democratic Republic of the Congo's export base

Macroeconomic and structural indicators add context to merchandise trade scale. They describe the country environment; they do not predict company performance or future exports.

GDP$71.0B2024 macro context
GDP per capita$649.4Current-dollar GDP
Population109.3MReported population
Labor forceNot reportedReported labor force
Investment rateNot reportedNational investment rate
Savings rateNot reportedNational savings rate
Trade opennessNot reportedExports + imports / GDP
Exports / GDPNot reportedMerchandise exports / GDP
Secondary educationNot reportedEducation context
Tertiary educationNot reportedEducation context

Market signals

Where to look more closely next

Route-level risk and emerging-corridor signals for further research. These are calculated indicators, not forecasts.

Destination risk contextAll covered routes
Destination risk context for Democratic Republic of the Congo
DestinationAttentionAttention shareBelow peakApplied tariffPrimary reason
South AfricaZAFCritical attention99.9%74%Not reportedBuyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
ZambiaZMBCritical attention99.8%36%Not reportedBuyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
United Rep. of TanzaniaTZACritical attention100%15.5%Not reportedBuyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
Saudi ArabiaSAUCritical attention98.7%63%Not reportedCurrent trade remains materially below historical peaks
SingaporeSGPHigh attention100%12.5%Not reportedBuyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
BelgiumBELHigh attention90.6%60.6%Not reportedCurrent trade remains materially below historical peaks
EswatiniSWZCritical attention100%53.7%Not reportedCurrent trade remains materially below historical peaks
China, Hong Kong Special Administrative RegionHKGHigh attention100%35.9%Not reportedBuyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
ChinaCHNWatch27.3%9.5%Not reportedVolatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
MalaysiaMYSWatch13.4%7.9%Not reportedVolatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure

Full route coverage is retained. High attention means the route deserves closer product and access review.

Market opportunity signals

Product-market combinations worth investigating

All returned rows use buyer demand, exporter position, and calculated addressable-value fields. They are research signals, not forecasts.

Addressable-value signalsAll returned rows
Market opportunity signals for Democratic Republic of the Congo
RankMarket and productBuyer importsAddressable 3-year valueCurrent shareDemand signal
1ChinaHS6 260111 · Iron ores and concentrates: non-agglomerated$111.0B$119.1B0%Declining -2.6%
2USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsHS6 270900 · Oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude$165.0B$115.5B0%Declining +1.1%
3ChinaHS6 270900 · Oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude$291.6B$98.5B0.1%Slowing -6.7%
4ChinaHS6 854231 · Electronic integrated circuits: processors and controllers, whether or not combined with memories, converters, logic circuits, amplifiers, clock and timing circuits, or other circuits$158.0B$93.1B0%Declining +10.5%
5IndiaHS6 270900 · Oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude$130.1B$72.6B0.2%Growing -0.5%
6ChinaHS6 710812 · Metals: gold, non-monetary, unwrought (but not powder)$80.8B$64.9B0%Accelerating +2.4%
7ChinaHS6 854239 · Electronic integrated circuits: n.e.c. in heading no. 8542$81.8B$61.4B0%Accelerating +4%
8USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsHS6 851712 · Telephones for cellular networks or for other wireless networks$53.9B$53.8B0%Slowing -8.8%

Addressable value is a calculated field. Validate product, buyer, tariff, and route conditions before commercial decisions.

Detailed export portfolioHS4 lines beneath the leading sectorsOpen the detailed four-digit export table for Democratic Republic of the Congo.
All HS4 export lines2024 ranking
Top HS4 export lines for Democratic Republic of the Congo
RankHS4Parent HS2 sectorExportsShareActive HS6
17403HS4 detail codeCopper (74) ↗$22.7B61%7
22822HS4 detail codeInorganic chemicals (28) ↗$5.2B14%1
38105HS4 detail codeOther base metals (81) ↗$3.0B8%2
42603HS4 detail codeOres, slag and ash (26) ↗$2.4B6.6%1
57402HS4 detail codeCopper (74) ↗$1.0B2.8%1
62709HS4 detail codeMineral fuels (27) ↗$581.6M1.6%1
77102HS4 detail codePrecious stones and metals (71) ↗$549.6M1.5%5
87108HS4 detail codePrecious stones and metals (71) ↗$464.8M1.2%3
92609HS4 detail codeOres, slag and ash (26) ↗$342.7M0.9%1
101801HS4 detail codeCocoa and cocoa preparations (18) ↗$254.3M0.7%1
112617HS4 detail codeOres, slag and ash (26) ↗$140.9M0.4%2
122710HS4 detail codeMineral fuels (27) ↗$85.6M0.2%5

HS4 values are reported observations. The hierarchy is preserved; no missing descriptions are inferred.

The country export read

Democratic Republic of the Congo combines $37.3B in exports with a broad partner network.

In 2024, Democratic Republic of the Congo recorded $37.3B in reported exports and $19.8B in imports, producing a reported trade surplus of $17.4B. Exports changed +22.9% year on year and +16.1% annualized over three years. Copper (HS2 74) was the largest displayed export sector by value.

Destination network

Where Democratic Republic of the Congo exports move

All returned destination lanes ranked by latest reported export value. Share is calculated against the country total. Review sources ↗

Latest reported destination lanesAll returned · 2024
Leading export destinations for Democratic Republic of the Congo
RankDestinationLatest exportsShareYear-on-year3-year CAGR
1ChinaCHN$19.8B53.2%+19.1%+18.3%
2South AfricaZAF$2.7B7.4%+23.5%+14.2%
3United Rep. of TanzaniaTZA$2.5B6.6%+106.6%+7.9%
4United Arab EmiratesARE$1.7B4.6%+40.1%+11.7%
5MozambiqueMOZ$1.6B4.2%+0.6%+13.5%
6China, Hong Kong Special Administrative RegionHKG$1.4B3.8%-34.2%+29.4%
7SingaporeSGP$1.4B3.7%+28.2%-1.4%
8ZambiaZMB$807.4M2.2%+366.7%+3.2%
9Switzerland, LiechtensteinCHE$770.5M2.1%+35.7%+23.2%
10Republic of KoreaKOR$711.3M1.9%+46.1%+5.9%

Destination values are reported country-to-country observations. Full returned rows remain in the downloads.

Trade history

A long view of export scale

Latest twelve years from the 30-year reported country series. Context, not a forecast.

Reported exports by year

2013
$10.6B
2014
$12.2B
2015
$12.2B
2016
$9.9B
2017
$13.9B
2018
$21.6B
2019
$12.5B
2020
$14.8B
2021
$23.8B
2022
$25.7B
2023
$30.3B
2024
$37.3B

Partner network

Scale is only one part of export capability

Partner breadth, distance, agreements, and tariffs add context to reported exports.

FTA partner markets0Reported count
WTO partner markets169Reported count
EU partner markets28Reported count
Shared-border partners9Country context
Shared-language partners41Country context
Average partner distance7,486 kmCalculated average
Partners with FTA0%Calculated share
Applied tariff contextNot reportedCalculated average
MFN tariff contextNot reportedCalculated average
Tariff advantageNot reported ppPreferential vs MFN

Exposure context

Signals to examine alongside export scale

Calculated or classified route and country context. Not predictions or recommendations.

Attention share54.1%

Covered value under attention

Critical share10.3%

Covered value marked critical

Below historical peak17.1%

Distance below route peaks

FTA-covered exports0%

Covered value with FTA context

Weighted tariff contextNot reported

Export-weighted tariff

Macro contextMacro trend resilient

Primary attention driver: High trade volatility.

Momentum score20.8

History-based indicator

Partner concentration3,010.8

Partner HHI

Product concentration3,446

Product HHI

Country attention level: High attention. Missing fields remain unavailable.

Complete country valuesOpen the full profile evidenceFull history, sectors, HS4, destinations, risk, opportunities, and source fields.

Profile fields

Year2,024
Country Iso3COD
Exports Usd$37.3B
Imports Usd$19.8B
Trade Balance Usd$17.4B
Yoy Exports Growth Pct22.9%
Yoy Imports Growth Pct-12.5%
Exports Cagr 3y Pct16.1%
Imports Cagr 3y Pct31%
Export Partner Hhi3,010.8
Export Product Hhi3,446
Momentum Score20.8
Risk Score32.3
Gdp Million Usd70,962.19 million USD
Gdp Per Capita Usd$649.4
Population109,276,265
Labor ForceNot reported
Investment Rate PctNot reported
Savings Rate PctNot reported
Secondary Education PctNot reported
Tertiary Education PctNot reported
Total Factor ProductivityNot reported
Trade Openness PctNot reported
Exports Gdp PctNot reported
Num Active Partners270
Num Fta Partners0
Num Wto Partners169
Num Eu Partners28
Num Shared Border Partners9
Num Shared Language Partners41
Avg Partner Distance Km7,486 km
Avg Partner Gdp Million Usd533,678,518.33 million USD
Avg Partner Gdp Per Capita Usd$15.8
Avg Buyer Biz Entry DaysNot reported
Avg Buyer Biz Entry Cost PctNot reported
Pct Partners With Fta0
Pct Partners Shared Language15
Pct Partners Shared Border3
Avg Applied Tariff PctNot reported
Avg Mfn Tariff PctNot reported
Avg Preferential Tariff PctNot reported
Tariff Advantage PpNot reported
Avg Distance All Partners KmNot reported
Num Border PartnersNot reported
Num Colonial PartnersNot reported
Avg Substitution Elasticity-8.5
Pct Products High Elasticity69
Pct Products Low Elasticity3
Real Market PotentialNot reported
Foreign Market PotentialNot reported

Exposure fields

Country Iso3COD
All History Lane Count1,507
Current Lane Count351
Critical Lane Count17
High Attention Lane Count99
High Volatility Lane Count177
Unrecovered Drawdown Lane Count155
Declining Demand Lane Count2
Concentrated Market Lane Count192
Access Friction Lane Count0
Buyer Macro Weakness Lane Count61
Monitored Exports Current Usd$36.9B
Attention Exports Usd$19.9B
Critical Exports Usd$3.8B
High Volatility Exports Usd$24.1B
Unrecovered Drawdown Exports Usd$4.5B
Non Fta Exports Usd$0.0
Monitored Attention Share Pct54.1%
Monitored Critical Share Pct10.3%
Fta Covered Exports Share Pct0%
Export Weighted Volatility Cv1.2
Export Weighted Below Peak Pct17.1%
Export Weighted Distance KmNot reported
Export Weighted Tariff PctNot reported
Latest Data Year2,024
First Data Year1,995
Country Years Count30
Total Exports Latest Usd$37.3B
Total Imports Latest Usd$19.8B
Trade Balance Latest Usd$17.4B
Exports Yoy Latest Pct22.9%
Exports Cagr 3y Latest Pct16.1%
Gdp Latest Million Usd70,962.19 million USD
Gdp Per Capita Latest Usd$649.4
Population Latest109,276,265
Investment Rate Latest PctNot reported
Savings Rate Latest PctNot reported
Trade Openness Latest PctNot reported
Exports Gdp Latest PctNot reported
Active Partners Latest270
Fta Partners Latest0
Foreign Market Potential LatestNot reported
Gdp 5y Cagr Pct8.7%
Gdp Per Capita 5y Cagr Pct5.2%
Population 5y Cagr Pct3.3%
Partner Hhi Latest3,010.8
Partner Top1 Share Latest Pct53.2%
Partner Top3 Share Latest Pct67.1%
Partner Hhi All Avg2,644.7
Partner Hhi All Max5,119.9
Product Hhi Latest3,446
Product Top1 Share Latest Pct55.7%
Product Top3 Share Latest Pct77.6%
Product Hhi All Avg2,247.1
Product Hhi All Max4,433.5
Total Exports Attention Share Pct53.5%
Total Exports Critical Share Pct10.2%
Attention LevelHigh attention
Primary Risk DriverHigh trade volatility
Macro Resilience LabelMacro trend resilient

Annual country history

YearExportsImportsTrade balanceExports YoYExports CAGR 3Y
1995$691.3M$816.0M-$124.8MNot reportedNot reported
1996$772.7M$737.2M$35.5M+11.8%Not reported
1997$600.4M$532.7M$67.8M-22.3%Not reported
1998$429.4M$458.0M-$28.6M-28.5%-14.7%
1999$1.2B$387.6M$797.1M+175.9%+15.3%
2000$1.2B$626.3M$570.1M+1%+25.8%
2001$1.1B$559.9M$545.5M-7.6%+37.1%
2002$1.4B$765.3M$680.2M+30.8%+6.9%
2003$1.1B$989.6M$96.6M-24.9%-3.2%
2004$1.2B$1.4B-$163.9M+11.2%+3%
2005$1.4B$1.7B-$248.0M+17.2%-0.7%
2006$1.5B$3.0B-$1.5B+3.5%+10.5%
2007$2.1B$2.9B-$818.2M+40.2%+19.4%
2008$3.5B$4.0B-$420.9M+71.8%+35.6%
2009$2.3B$2.5B-$198.6M-34.1%+16.7%
2010$6.6B$4.2B$2.4B+182.4%+47.3%
2011$10.6B$5.3B$5.3B+61.9%+44.5%
2012$10.4B$5.8B$4.6B-2.4%+64.6%
2013$10.6B$6.3B$4.3B+2%+17.3%
2014$12.2B$6.5B$5.6B+14.7%+4.5%
2015$12.2B$6.8B$5.4B+0.4%+5.5%
2016$9.9B$5.1B$4.8B-19%-2.3%
2017$13.9B$5.0B$8.9B+40.4%+4.5%
2018$21.6B$7.0B$14.6B+55.2%+20.9%
2019$12.5B$7.8B$4.8B-41.9%+8.2%
2020$14.8B$7.0B$7.7B+17.9%+2.1%
2021$23.8B$8.8B$15.0B+61.3%+3.4%
2022$25.7B$13.9B$11.8B+7.9%+27.1%
2023$30.3B$22.7B$7.6B+17.9%+27.1%
2024$37.3B$19.8B$17.4B+22.9%+16.1%

Top export sectors

RankHS2SectorExportsShareExport partnersActive HS6
174Copper$23.8B64%4349
228Inorganic chemicals$5.2B14%30163
326Ores, slag and ash$3.0B8.1%4028
481Other base metals$3.0B8%727
571Precious stones and metals$1.0B2.7%5641
627Mineral fuels$679.8M1.8%5042
718Cocoa and cocoa preparations$254.3M0.7%3211
844Wood and wood articles$93.7M0.3%7797
909Coffee, tea and spices$27.2M0.1%6039
1023Food industry residues$15.0M0%1920

Detailed HS4 export lines

RankHS4Parent HS2ExportsShareActive HS6
17403Copper (74)$22.7B61%7
22822Inorganic chemicals (28)$5.2B14%1
38105Other base metals (81)$3.0B8%2
42603Ores, slag and ash (26)$2.4B6.6%1
57402Copper (74)$1.0B2.8%1
62709Mineral fuels (27)$581.6M1.6%1
77102Precious stones and metals (71)$549.6M1.5%5
87108Precious stones and metals (71)$464.8M1.2%3
92609Ores, slag and ash (26)$342.7M0.9%1
101801Cocoa and cocoa preparations (18)$254.3M0.7%1
112617Ores, slag and ash (26)$140.9M0.4%2
122710Mineral fuels (27)$85.6M0.2%5

Top export destinations

RankDestinationISO3ExportsShareYoYCAGR 3Y
1ChinaCHN$19.8B53.2%+19.1%+18.3%
2South AfricaZAF$2.7B7.4%+23.5%+14.2%
3United Rep. of TanzaniaTZA$2.5B6.6%+106.6%+7.9%
4United Arab EmiratesARE$1.7B4.6%+40.1%+11.7%
5MozambiqueMOZ$1.6B4.2%+0.6%+13.5%
6China, Hong Kong Special Administrative RegionHKG$1.4B3.8%-34.2%+29.4%
7SingaporeSGP$1.4B3.7%+28.2%-1.4%
8ZambiaZMB$807.4M2.2%+366.7%+3.2%
9Switzerland, LiechtensteinCHE$770.5M2.1%+35.7%+23.2%
10Republic of KoreaKOR$711.3M1.9%+46.1%+5.9%

Destination risk context

RankDestinationAttentionAttention shareBelow peakApplied tariffPrimary reason
1South Africa (ZAF)Critical attention99.9%74%Not reportedBuyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
2Zambia (ZMB)Critical attention99.8%36%Not reportedBuyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
3United Rep. of Tanzania (TZA)Critical attention100%15.5%Not reportedBuyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
4Saudi Arabia (SAU)Critical attention98.7%63%Not reportedCurrent trade remains materially below historical peaks
5Singapore (SGP)High attention100%12.5%Not reportedBuyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
6Belgium (BEL)High attention90.6%60.6%Not reportedCurrent trade remains materially below historical peaks
7Eswatini (SWZ)Critical attention100%53.7%Not reportedCurrent trade remains materially below historical peaks
8China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKG)High attention100%35.9%Not reportedBuyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
9China (CHN)Watch27.3%9.5%Not reportedVolatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
10Malaysia (MYS)Watch13.4%7.9%Not reportedVolatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure

Emerging corridor signals

RankDestinationHS6SignalMarket importsCurrent shareStrength
1Germany (DEU)760110new$1.6B0%100
2Belgium (BEL)262099new$56.5M0.3%100
3Serbia (SRB)260300new$202.5M53.1%100
4Kenya (KEN)090112new$671.8K65.2%100
5Zambia (ZMB)283539new$663.6K56.9%100
6Singapore (SGP)110710new$21.9M0.6%100
7Pakistan (PAK)440810new$515.9K23.7%100
8Taiwan (TWN)282200new$13.1M82.4%100
9Namibia (NAM)260800new$27.9M83.9%100
10Namibia (NAM)260400new$6.3M31.9%100

Market opportunity signals

RankMarketHS6Buyer importsAddressable 3-year valueCurrent shareSignal
1China (CHN)260111$111.0B$119.1B0%Declining (-2.6%)
2USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)270900$165.0B$115.5B0%Declining (+1.1%)
3China (CHN)270900$291.6B$98.5B0.1%Slowing (-6.7%)
4China (CHN)854231$158.0B$93.1B0%Declining (+10.5%)
5India (IND)270900$130.1B$72.6B0.2%Growing (-0.5%)
6China (CHN)710812$80.8B$64.9B0%Accelerating (+2.4%)
7China (CHN)854239$81.8B$61.4B0%Accelerating (+4%)
8USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)851712$53.9B$53.8B0%Slowing (-8.8%)

How to read this page

Separate reported scale from calculated context.

Reported exports, imports, trade balance, sector rows, destination rows, and annual history describe merchandise trade observations for the stated country and year.

CAGR, shares, concentration measures, tariff context, exposure shares, and momentum are calculated indicators built from the available observations. They help organize research but are not additional reported trade or forecasts.

Coverage runs from 1995 through 2024 for this profile. Missing values are shown as Not reported. Read the full methodology ↗

Reported observations

OECD BIMTS merchandise trade values are the primary series for this view.

Calculated indicators

Growth, share, HHI, tariff, and exposure fields are derived from available reported values.

Coverage limits

Unavailable values remain unavailable. No company sales, shipment records, or forecasts are implied.

Questions about this profile

Democratic Republic of the Congo export capability, in context

Short answers for readers comparing country export scale, partner breadth, and calculated trade indicators.

What does the Democratic Republic of the Congo export profile measure?

It combines reported exports, imports, history, destinations, HS2 sectors, partner context, and calculated indicators for Democratic Republic of the Congo.

What is the latest reported export value for Democratic Republic of the Congo?

Democratic Republic of the Congo recorded $37.3B in reported exports in 2024.

Which markets receive the most exports from Democratic Republic of the Congo?

China leads by reported export value at $19.8B in 2024. Five destination lanes are highlighted.

Which sectors lead Democratic Republic of the Congo's exports?

Copper leads by reported value at $23.8B. Five HS2 chapters are highlighted.

How many years of Democratic Republic of the Congo trade history are available?

This sample contains 30 observed annual rows covering 1995 through 2024. Missing observations are not estimated.

Are the growth and exposure values forecasts?

No. They are calculated or classified from reported observations, not forecasts or market-access guarantees.

Continue your research

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Data source

OECD trade statistics with CEPII context

OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-28). OECD BIMTS is the primary trade series for this view. Supporting bilateral trade context uses CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601) under Etalab 2.0 Open Licence. Yugalinks presents derived views of reported observations and calculated indicators. Data terms: OECD Terms & Conditions.