Foreign Trade Bulletin of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Overview of DRC exports under AGOA (2016–2025 and first half of 2026)
In 2025, economic relations between the United States and sub-Saharan African countries were characterized by record trade volumes, reaching USD 28.2 billion; of this total, USD 5.1 billion was generated under the preferential trade regime of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
This 2026 foreign trade bulletin reviews the DRC’s exports to the United States before and after its reinstatement into AGOA, while also providing a market analysis covering the first half of 2026. The study draws on data from the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) to assess trends in Congolese exports, the extent to which the AGOA regime is utilized, progress made in export diversification, and the DRC’s standing relative to other African beneficiary nations.
Key findings:
• Following its reinstatement into AGOA in December 2020, Congolese exports to the U.S. market saw significant growth, rising from USD 269.1 million in 2021 to nearly USD 2 billion in 2025. Results from the first half of 2026 confirm this trend. Specifically, DRC exports under the AGOA regime totaled USD 1.04 billion in the first half of 2026, compared to USD 903.1 million during the same period in 2025—an increase of 15.7%. Consequently, the DRC ranked first among sub-Saharan African countries exporting under this regime. This performance remains concentrated in the extractive sector—primarily involving refined copper cathodes and cathode sections—which accounts for nearly 99.9% of Congolese exports under AGOA. Meanwhile, the agricultural, textile, leather, and handicraft sectors remain virtually marginal.
• Out of approximately 6,800 products eligible under AGOA, the DRC exported only 14 during the 2021–2025 period. Nevertheless, it ranks among the program's main beneficiaries, driven by a sharp rise in exports of refined copper cathodes—which grew from USD 217.0 million in 2021 to USD 1.45 billion in 2025. Other mineral and non-mineral products (such as cassava, live birds, vegetables, spices, fruits and edible plant parts, fruit or vegetable juices, bakery products, mineral and flavored waters, etc.) were exported in relatively low volumes; they play only a marginal role in the country's exports under this scheme, as well as under other preferential trade arrangements.
