Kinshasa, May 3rd, 2025 (ACP) – The 2nd edition of the Import-Export conference of the Congo Business Federation (FEC) has been announced for 8 to 9 May, at the Pullman Lubumbashi Grand Karavia, in the province of Haut-Katanga, the CPA learnt on Saturday from an administrative source.
‘The Congo Business Federation (FEC) Haut-Katanga is organizing the second edition of the import-export conference from May 8th to 9th, 2025 at the Pullman Lubumbashi Grand Karavia. The main aim of this event is to evaluate the resolutions adopted at the first conference, highlighting the progress made and the bottlenecks’, it reads. The Congolese employers’ association’s ambition, according to the source, is to make international trade a genuine lever for growth, performance and economic integration throughout the region.
‘International trade is one of the key drivers of our economic development. But how can we make it smoother, fairer and more efficient? There are too many controls, too many delays, too little coordination and infrastructures that no longer meet the requirements of modern trade. These are major challenges that we must overcome together’, added the source. For two days, freight forwarders, customs officials, public and private players will all be around the table to build a more modern and more competitive trade. According to figures from the World Trade Organization (WTO), goods exports totaled USD 28.2 billion in 2022, compared with USD 11 billion in imports. As far as services are concerned, the DRC is a net importer (USD 4.5 billion in imports compared with USD 109 million in exports).
The DRC’s main exports to Africa were chemicals and metals, while its main imports were minerals, chemicals, machinery parts and electrical equipment. ACP/