AGOA Status: The Democratic Republic of Congo (DROC) is eligible for AGOA this year.
Trade Agreements: The U.S. and DROC have a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). It was signed in 1984 and entered into force in 1989. DROC is also a member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), with which the U.S. has a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), signed in 2001.
Special Initiatives: Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act ("Dodd-Frank") instructs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), in consultation with the Department of State, to promulgate regulations requiring, in part, certain companies to submit annually a description of the measures taken to exercise due diligence on the source and chain of custody of "conflict minerals." Learn more about this regulation here.
U.S.-Democratic Republic of Congo Trade Facts
In 2019, Congo (Kinshasa) GDP was an estimated $49.0 billion (current market exchange rates); real GDP was up by an estimated 4.4%; and the population was 98 million. (Source: IMF)
Exports
- Congo (Kinshasa) was the United States' 139th largest goods export market in 2019.
- U.S. goods exports to Congo (Kinshasa) in 2019 were $132 million, up 69.1% ($54 million) from 2018 and up 65.9% from 2009.
- The top export categories (2-digit HS) in 2019 were: machinery ($22 million), vehicles ($16 million), meat (poultry) ($15 million), cereals (wheat) ($12 million), and electrical machinery ($10 million).
- U.S. total exports of agricultural products to Congo (Kinshasa) totaled $42 million in 2019. Leading domestic export categories include: poultry meat & products (ex. eggs) ($15 million), wheat ($12 million), prepared food ($4 million), pulses ($1 million), and dairy products ($225 thousand).
Imports
- Congo (Kinshasa) was the United States' 156th largest supplier of goods imports in 2019.
- U.S. goods imports from Congo (Kinshasa) totaled $22 million in 2019, down 56.3% ($28 million) from 2018, and down 93.4% from 2009.
- The top import categories (2-digit HS) in 2019 were: cocoa ($6 million), art and antiques ($5 million), precious metal and stone (diamonds) ($4 million), coffee, tea & spice (coffee) ($4 million), and wood and wood products ($696 thousand).
- U.S. total imports of agricultural products from Congo (Kinshasa) totaled $10 million in 2019. Leading categories include: cocoa beans ($6 million), unroasted coffee ($4 million), essential oils ($216 thousand), snack foods ($2 thousand), and spices ($2 thousand).
Trade Balance
- The U.S. goods trade surplus with Congo (Kinshasa) was $110 million in 2019, a 288.1% increase ($82 million) over 2018.
Investment
- U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) in Congo (Kinshasa) (stock) was $86 million in 2019, a 7.5% increase from 2018. There is no information on the distribution of U.S. FDI in Congo (Kinshasa).
- No data on Congo (Kinshasa)'s FDI in the U.S. are available.
NOTE: No services trade data with Congo (Kinshasa) are available.
