UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Agreement with Congo comes into force

The UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Agreement (CEPA) with the Democratic Republic of Congo entered into force on Friday, removing tariffs on the vast majority of product lines, harmonising customs procedures, and reducing unnecessary barriers to trade.

The deal has been designed to enhance trade flows, facilitate bilateral investment flows into important sectors such as logistics, energy and manufacturing, and support the economic growth ambitions of both countries.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the ten largest economies in Africa, with a GDP of $122.28 billion and a growth rate of 5.2%.

DRC also benefits from its location; bordering nine countries, it offers a strategic entry point for expanding trade across Central and Eastern Africa.

Resource-rich DRC is the world’s leading producer of cobalt, accounting for more than 70% of global supply, and Africa’s leading producer of copper.

It is also an important source of gold, tin, tantalum, and tungsten – all of which are essential to electrical components and energy transition technologies.

This CEPA will build on growing bilateral relations between the two nations, which resulted in non-oil bilateral trade worth $3.5 billion in 2025, a growth of 38.5% compared to 2024.

It is an important destination for UAE exports such as vehicles, machinery, electronics and construction materials, while the UAE serves as an important conduit for DRC’s exports from metals to food, cotton and other agricultural products.

Dr Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, said the implementation of the CEPA provides the UAE’s private sector with an important access point to Africa.

“The UAE’s foreign-trade ambitions are centred on connecting our market to the highest potential economies around the world. The entry into force of our CEPA with the Democratic Republic of Congo signals another significant stride forward in our growth agenda, cementing access to a country with advanced developmental programs – and to a wider region that represents a broad range of opportunities for our exporters, our investors and our industries. We are excited by the possibilities of enhanced trade, deeper private-sector collaboration and strategic partnerships, and welcome the platform we have to support each other’s economic growth objectives,” he said.

 The CEPA programme is a vital component of the UAE’s economic vision, which seeks to establish stronger, more integrated trading relationships with the most dynamic markets around the world. The UAE has now concluded CEPAs with 40 nations around the world, 20 of which are now in force.

WAM