The Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania are on the verge of strengthening their trade relations with a new agreement. The two countries have given themselves 90 days to finalize a bilateral trade agreement that will facilitate and regulate exchanges between them. This commitment was made on September 19, 2026, in Dar es-Salaam by Julien Paluku Kahongya, the Congolese Minister of Foreign Trade, and Judith Salvio Kapinga, the Tanzanian Minister of Industry and Commerce.
The agreement was reached after two days of discussions between the delegations of the two countries, which examined several mechanisms to facilitate the circulation of goods. The talks focused on collaboration between Congolese public services installed in Tanzania and their Tanzanian counterparts. The Direction générale des douanes et accises (DGDA), the Office de gestion du fret multimodal (OGEFREM), and the Centre d’expertise, d’évaluation et de certification (CEEC) were mentioned among the structures called upon to strengthen their cooperation with the Tanzanian customs.
The Port of Dar es-Salaam is a crucial element in this new dynamic, as part of Congo's mining exports transit through this maritime infrastructure. The two parties want to examine measures to reduce costs and delays related to the passage of goods. The issue of transit is closely linked to the competitiveness of exchanges, and the RDC and Tanzania want to act on import and export procedures to reduce constraints that slow down the circulation of goods between their two territories.
For Kinshasa, improving cooperation between concerned administrations must make commercial operations more predictable. Simplifying formalities and better coordination of services are among the avenues explored during the Dar es-Salaam discussions. The Congolese minister hailed this economic cooperation, which he sees as part of the orientations given to the two governments by President Félix Tshisekedi and his Tanzanian counterpart, Samia Suluhu Hassan.
The two leaders met on August 18 in Zanzibar, and a mixed commission of experts was set up to prepare the future trade agreement. The commission will work on different mechanisms to facilitate exchanges and create a more favorable framework for investments between the RDC and Tanzania. The next few weeks will be devoted to technical work to enable the two parties to respect the announced 90-day deadline.
At the end of this process, Kinshasa and Dar es-Salaam could have a new framework to structure their commercial relations and strengthen the circulation of goods between the two countries. The agreement is expected to boost trade and economic cooperation between the two nations. The RDC and Tanzania are eager to enhance their economic ties and create a more favorable business environment.
The new trade agreement is also expected to address issues related to customs procedures, trade facilitation, and the reduction of non-tariff barriers. The agreement will be a significant step towards strengthening economic cooperation between the RDC and Tanzania, and will likely have a positive impact on the economic development of both countries.
Key points
- The Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania have set a 90-day deadline to finalize a bilateral trade agreement aimed at facilitating and regulating trade between the two countries.
- The agreement will focus on simplifying formalities, improving cooperation between administrations, and reducing costs and delays related to the passage of goods.
- The new trade agreement is expected to boost trade and economic cooperation between the RDC and Tanzania, and create a more favorable business environment.
