DRC’s Minister of External Trade Julien Paluku Kahongya announced that several Congolese agricultural products, including coffee and cocoa, will now enter the UK market duty-free. This decision follows a June 17, 2025 meeting with Kumar Iyer, the UK ambassador to the United Nations, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and other international organizations in Geneva.

"Certification and compliance bodies will oversee the implementation of this decision," Paluku Kahongya said. DRC exporters looking to ship agricultural goods to the UK must register with the Rural Payments Agency to get an import license. For fruits and vegetables, a certificate of conformity from UK authorities is also required. London stated that these procedures can be completed online.

This news comes amid a significant drop in DRC’s exports to the UK. Data from the International Trade Centre (ITC) shows that the value of goods imported from the DRC by the UK fell from $261.6 million in 2022 to just $12 million in 2024, a 95.4% decrease. No official reason has been provided for this decline.

In February, the Ministry of External Trade and the UK embassy in Kinshasa established a technical commission to speed up the signing of trade agreements aimed at boosting exports. Local media reported that discussions focused on a list of 62 priority products, though this list has not been made public.

The UK government noted that it introduced a preferential trade scheme for developing countries, including the DRC, in 2023. This scheme is part of its post-Brexit trade policy and offers reduced tariffs on 99% of goods from these nations, aiming to lower raw material import costs for British businesses.

This article was initially published in French by Timothée Manoke (Intern)

Edited in English by Mouka Mezonlin