Business in Congo, Brazzaville

The objectives of the subject “Foreign Trade and Business in the Republic of the Congo”: are the following:

1. To analyse the Congolese Economy and Foreign Trade (Import, Export, FDI)
2. To know the business opportunities in the Republic of the Congo
3. To explore the trade relations of the Republic of the Congo with the country of the student
4. To know the Congolese Trade Agreements
5. To develop a business plan for the Congolese market

The Republic of the Congo's Preferential Trade Agreements:

1. The Republic of the Congo and the Central African Economic Area
2. Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC)
3. Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC)
4. African Continental Free-Trade Area (AfCFTA)
5. International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR)
6. Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa (OHADA)
7. Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA)
8. Africa-European Union Strategic Partnership (Cotonou Agreement)
9. African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) - the United States

Trade Facilitation Programs

1. World Trade Organisation (WTO)
   1. WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
   2. WTO Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)
   3. WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)
   4. WTO Agreement on Preshipment Inspection (PSI)
   5. WTO Agreement on Safeguards (SG)
   6. WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)
2. World Customs Organisation (WCO)
   1. Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC)
3. Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea (Rotterdam Rules, UN)

African Trade and Economic Organisations

1. Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
2. African Union (AU)
   1. African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption
   2. African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD)
3. African Development Bank (AfDB)
4. Africa-Asia Strategic Partnership (NAASP)
5. Africa-India Framework for Cooperation
6. Africa-BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa)
7. Africa-Turkey Partnership
8. Africa-Korea Partnership
9. Africa-Japan Cooperation (TICAD)
10. Africa-South America Summit (ASA)
11. Forum on China-Africa Cooperation
12. Afro-Arab Cooperation
13. Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA)

Global Organisations. The Republic of the Congo is a member of...

1. United Nations (UN)
   1. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
   2. International Trade Centre (INTRACEN)
   3. World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
2. World Bank (WB)
3. World Trade Organisation (WTO)
4. International Monetary Fund (IMF)

The Republic of the Congo

The Republic of the Congo is a developing country included in the heavily indebted poor countries initiative

1. Agriculture is the main economic activity of the Republic of the Congo
2. Congolese languages: French, Lingala, and Kikongo
3. The main cities in Congo are Brazzaville (Capital, 2 million people), Pointe-Noire  (economic capital, 500,000 people), Nkayi, and Dolisie
4. The borders of the Republic of the Congo are Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Gabon
5. Independence of the Republic of the Congo: 1960 (from France)
6. Area of the Republic of the Congo: 341,821 square kilometres
7. Congolese population: 4,012,809
   1. Bantu
8. The Departments of the Republic of the Congo are Likouala (Impfondo), Sangha (Ouesso), Cuvette Ouest (Ewo), bowl (Owando), Plateaux (Djambala), Pool (Kinkala), Bouenza (Madingou), Lekoumou (Sibiti), Niari (Dolisie) Kouilou (Pointe-Noire), and Brazzaville

More information: The Republic of the Congo (EENI African Portal).

Religion in the Republic of the Congo:

1. Christianity (50%): Catholicism (1.8 million) and Protestants (Methodists: 2 million)
2. African Traditional Religions (48%)
3. Islam (2%)

The Republic of the Congo belongs to the Central African Economic Area (African Civilisation).

Economy of the Republic of the Congo:

1. The economic efficiency of the Republic of the Congo (Africa) owes a great deal to the increase of the Congolese petroleum production (115 million barrels)
2. Fiscal reform and debt relief obtained under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative
3. Top economic sectors of the Republic of the Congo: agriculture, Petrol, and services
   1. Petrol (the fourth African producer), wood, manganese, natural gas, gold, iron, diamonds, copper, potassium, and zinc
4. Petroleum production: 10 to 15 million tonnes annually. The Congolese reserves remain relevant
5. Hydroelectric Potential: 2,500 megawatts
6. The largest potash producer in Africa. Potash reserves: 800 billion tonnes
7. Iron: 1 billion tonnes
8. Congolese gas reserves: 120 billion m3.
9. Gold Fields in operation: 100 t/year over 30 years
10. Top Congolese trade partners: The United States, France, China, India, the United Arab Emirates, and South Korea
11. Top Congolese exports are petrol, timber, minerals, copper, precious stones
12. Port of Pointe-Noire: the only Central African deep-sea port

The Republic of the Congo has many advantages and offers many international business opportunities. The preferred sectors for the foreign direct investment are:
- Agriculture, livestock, and fisheries
- Building and public works
- Forests
- Mining
- Energy
- Industry
- Tourism and hospitality
- Telecommunications
- Health and housing
- Education
- Banks, insurance, and microfinance
- Services
- Real Estate.