The Democratic Republic of Congo took a step closer to trade reform last Friday. The Council of Ministers adopted two draft ordinance-laws on June 27 to ratify key World Trade Organization agreements. Next, the executive will sign these texts and notify the WTO.

On May 23, Foreign Trade Minister Julien Paluku had already urged the government to act. He warned that failure to ratify these deals damaged the DRC’s credibility with trading partners. He argued it blocked integration into regional value chains, delayed customs modernization, and limited access to reform funding.

The first agreement, covering trade facilitation, aims to simplify customs procedures and cut border delays. WTO data shows full implementation could slash global trade costs by 14.3%, reduce average import times by 47%, and shorten export times by 91%. In the DRC, shipping a container abroad still takes about 200 hours, compared with less than 50 hours in neighboring countries, a study cited by Paluku showed.

The second text targets harmful fisheries subsidies. Adopted in 2022, it sets binding rules to curb public aid that fuels overfishing or illegal fishing. The deal will enter into force once 111 WTO members ratify it; 100 have already done so. The agreement also offers a technical assistance fund for developing countries.

The government says these ordinance-laws support its WTO membership commitments dating back to 1997. According to Council documents, the reforms will ease trade barriers, strengthen the DRC’s regional and global trade integration, and promote sustainable fisheries management.

This article was initially published in French by Boaz Kabeya, intern

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum