The Facilitating Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable Trade (FIRST) project, a Canadian-funded program operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Mozambique, is supporting the rollout of a simplified trade regime between the DRC and Zambia to ease small-scale cross-border trade.

Implemented by Cowater International with support from Global Affairs Canada, the five-year project has a budget of 9.7 million Canadian dollars.

In the DRC, the project is helping implement the Simplified Trade Regime (RECOS) between the DRC and Zambia. A technical meeting on the issue was held on May 19, 2026, in Kinshasa between Benezeth Musafiri Kyakakala, chief of staff to the minister of foreign trade, and Nadira Bayat, FIRST project team leader for Cowater International, according to the Congolese Ministry of Foreign Trade.

Following the meeting, a joint technical commission of experts was set up to prepare the signing of a memorandum of understanding and develop a roadmap for implementing RECOS between the two countries, according to a ministry statement.

RECOS is a COMESA mechanism designed to facilitate small-scale cross-border trade through simplified customs procedures. It is based on a common list of eligible products, a simplified customs document and a simplified certificate of origin for goods eligible for preferential treatment.

The DRC previously launched the mechanism with Burundi in October 2024 at the Kavimvira and Gatumba border posts. Under that arrangement, 66 products were selected for customs duty exemptions, with a ceiling of $500 per transaction per day for eligible small traders.

Focus on Kasumbalesa

The initiative aims to better regulate cross-border trade, reduce border delays, limit administrative barriers and encourage informal traders to enter the formal economy.

Through the FIRST project, Congolese authorities and their partners now aim to extend this trade facilitation approach to the DRC-Zambia corridor, particularly at the Kasumbalesa border post, one of the region’s main commercial crossing points.

More broadly, the FIRST project seeks to support trade ministries, professional associations and small cross-border traders in the targeted countries. It places particular emphasis on women, youth and people with disabilities involved in regional trade.

The program includes support for trade policies, the reduction of non-tariff barriers, the participation of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in regional trade and improved access to trade data.

The initiative forms part of broader efforts to support implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), particularly by making small-scale cross-border trade more inclusive, formalized and resilient.

Timothée Manoke