African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
DRC in AfCFTA: stakes, opportunities, and trade perspectives.
The African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA in short, is a continental trade agreement aiming to create a single market for goods and services across Africa, with the goal of deepening economic integration. It remains the flagship project of the African Union's Agenda 2063.
The AfCFTA agreement was signed in March 2018 in Kigali and officially commenced implementation in January 2021.
A continental framework designed to facilitate trade and economic integration.
AfCFTA aims to create a single market for goods and services, facilitated by movement of persons, to deepen economic integration in line with the pan-African vision of an 'integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa'.
The AfCFTA Secretariat headquarters is located in Accra, capital of Ghana.
For its operation, AfCFTA relies on several operational instruments.
Tools designed to facilitate intra-African trade.
Participation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the continental process.
On July 9, 2021, DRC became the 40th state party to sign the AfCFTA agreement. Instruments of ratification were deposited at the Secretariat in Accra on April 20, 2022.
DRC's participation in AfCFTA provides a framework to expand trade with other African economies, diversify markets, and foster integration of Congolese businesses into regional value chains.
AfCFTA thus constitutes a vital continental framework for intra-African trade development and DRC market diversification.
DRC at the center of discussions on AfCFTA implementation.
On April 17 and 18, 2025, the DRC hosted the 16th AfCFTA Council of Ministers meeting in Kinshasa.
This meeting, preceded by senior officials' and experts' sessions, followed the 15th meeting held in Zanzibar.
Discussions focused on tariff dismantling, transit guarantee systems, pan-African payment system, trade in services, and dispute settlement.
National instruments accompanying progressive market opening.
The Congolese Government has initiated several strategic plans preparing DRC for the full opening of AfCFTA borders by 2036, including:
For DRC, AfCFTA provides a framework to boost intra-African trade, expand markets for Congolese goods, and foster deeper integration into continental value chains.
