MINISTRY OF FOREIGN TRADE: THE FORMALIZATION OF THE NATIONAL COMMITTEES SPS- SANITARY AND PHYTOSANITARY, TBT- TECHNICAL BARRIERS TO TRADE AND CODEX ALIMENTARIUS, AT THE CENTER OF A TECHNICAL MEETING THIS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2026 IN KINSHASA BETWEEN MINISTER JULIEN PALUKU KAHONGYA AND SAID ALI, INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE EXPERT
Consolidation of the integration of the Democratic Republic of Congo into international trade, and this, after the ratification of the agreement on trade facilitation of the World Trade Organization-WTO last July, the formalization of the national committees SPS- Sanitary and Phytosanitary, OTC- Technical Obstacles to Trade and the Codex Alimentarius was at the center of a technical meeting this Wednesday, March 4, 2026 in Kinshasa between the Minister of Foreign Trade, Julien Paluku Kahongya and Said Ali, international trade expert.
The implementation of these committees marks a strategic turning point for the protection of national interests and the economic expansion of the Democratic Republic of Congo, because under the agreements of the World Trade Organization-WTO, these committees give the country the sovereign right to adopt rigorous measures to protect the health of its population, but also, the preservation of its flora, therefore guaranteeing access of products made in DRC to the world market, indicated Said Ali, international trade expert.
For the Minister of Foreign Trade, by structuring these committees, the DRC now equips itself with the means to secure its exports, by guaranteeing the conformity of local products with international requirements, strengthening competitiveness, by harmonizing national standards and boosting dialogue between the public-private sectors, but also strengthening its regulatory sovereignty, by actively participating in the definition of international standards rather than simply submitting to them.
