Kinshasa, April 16th, 2026 (CPA).- The price of a barrel of oil has risen by 6.4% on the international market following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in Iran, according to the economic note from the Central Bank of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, consulted on Thursday at CPA. “As regards oil, the price has risen by 6.4% compared to the previous week, trading at $109.2 per barrel, compared to the end of December 2025, thus increasing by 68.6%,”it is read. According to this economic report, certain minerals have experienced an increase, notably copper and gold on the international market, trading at $12,339.60 per tonne and $4,651.20 per ounce of gold respectively, compared to the previous week.
However, the price of cobalt has remained stable, trading at USD 55,600.0 per tonne. As for agricultural products, the prices of rice, wheat and maize were set at USD 247.0, USD 219.9 and USD 166.3 per tonne respectively, recording a weekly increase of 1.7% for rice, compared with decreases of 1.1% for wheat and 2.9% for maize. The note has also highlighted that, according to the latest outlook from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the world economy remains broadly resilient, despite a high level of uncertainty linked in particular to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
The world economy is projected to grow by 2.9% in 2026 and 3.0% in 2027, supported in particular by robust technological investment, the easing of protectionist measures and the economic performance recorded in 2025. The inflation in G20 countries is expected to stand at around 4.0%, driven by the persistent impact of energy prices, before gradually converging towards 2.7% by 2027.