The European Union is banking on the Lobito Corridor to strengthen trade and support local businesses
The President of the Commission of the European Union, Ursula von der Leyen, expressed, this Monday, November 24, 2025, before African heads of state, during the summit of the European Union and the African Union, the desire to strengthen trade between the European and African continents. For her, Europe remains Africa's leading strategic partner with trade exemptions, ahead of China in particular, which is present on the continent, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Lobito Corridor project in the Great Lakes region, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Angola, remains one of the cornerstones of strengthening these trade exchanges through intervention and the European Union as well as its companies which support the local private sector in the region, in order to increase development.
Several European companies are involved in the Lobito Corridor project. This is the case of Mota-Engil, a Portuguese construction/engineering group. Present in the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR) consortium, with a 49.5% share in the railway concession consortium. There is Vecturis, a Belgian railway operator, and is part of the LAR consortium. Vecturis plays a role in the operational management of rail.
Trafigura, although a Singapore-registered commodities trading company, has European origins and links, it operates largely in Europe and plays a central role in the LAR consortium. It is one of the main investors in the railway project (wagons, locomotives, modernization, etc.).
For the Lobito port terminal, the Lobito port concession was awarded to Africa Global Logistics (AGL), part of the MSC Group, a major player in maritime transport. MSC is a shipping company with a strong presence in Europe, so this constitutes a strong link with the European logistics sector.
Corridor de Lobito implique également les institutions européennes, telles que l’Union européenne elle-même, via l’initiative Global Gateway. Il y a la Banque européenne d’investissement, qui fait partie des partenaires financiers du projet. Plusieurs États membres de l’UE sont impliqués via l’initiative « Team Europe » : Belgique, Portugal, France, Allemagne, Italie, Espagne, Suède, Pays-Bas. Les Agences de développement européennes sont également impliquées, telles que l’AFD (France), la GIZ (Allemagne), RVO (Pays-Bas).
En RDC, le projet est très attendu et des avancées sont enregistrées. Lors de Katanga Business Meeting, la première ministre congolaise déclarait : Avec la mise en œuvre du Corridor de Lobito, notre stratégie sur la chaîne de valeurs des batteries électriques et le potentiel minier unique de notre pays, nous avons les moyens de devenir une plateforme industrielle verte à l’échelle continentale.
