Congo, the democratic republic of the Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in congo, the democratic republic of the, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Select Country Guide
Democratic Republic of the Congo - Trade Barriers
Last published date:

U.S. exporters report both tariff and non‑tariff barriers when entering the Congolese market. Duties can be high (customs duties, value‑added tax, and excise taxes may be combined to exceed 30 percent of the landed value). Non‑tariff obstacles include opaque customs procedures, inconsistent application of import regulations, frequent regulatory changes, and corruption. Companies should anticipate delays at ports and require assistance from an experienced customs broker. 

One significant trade barrier is the slow and confusing customs clearance process. With international assistance, the GDRC continues to implement various technical and legislative reforms to facilitate the movement of goods. The government established the Integral Single Window for Foreign Trade “Guichet Unique Intégral pour le Commerce Extérieur (referred to as GUICE or ‘Guichet Unique’)” to streamline administrative procedures for import, export, transit and trans-shipment operations, and process data. The GUICE is intended to facilitate transactions between parties involved in foreign trade and transportation of goods by standardizing information and consolidating documents at a single point of entry to fulfill all formalities related to the import, export, transit, and trans-shipment of goods. The goal of the GUICE is to reduce fraud, increase the tax base, unify customs expenses, and improve the DRC’s business climate.
GUICE is used to select, sort, and filter information provided by users related to the importation, exportation, and transit of goods. 

Once the information is gathered and compiled, the system sends it to the intended recipients (public and private operators) in a precise order and it is processed, returning a single invoice to the user detailing the taxes owed. The Guichet Unique Integral has offices in Kisangani, Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Boma, Goma, and Matadi.
The DRC’s General Directorate of Customs and Excise – “Direction Générale des Douanes et Accises” (DGDA) has 27 customs offices representing more than 95 percent of the volume of transactions. Using SydoniaWorld software allows the direct collection of customs revenues, thus reducing fraud and increasing state revenue. 

×

Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

Privacy Program | Information Quality Guidelines | Accessibility