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Republic of the Congo trade in 2024

In 2024, the Republic of the Congo exported $8.5 billion and imported $4.9 billion, a trade surplus of $3.7 billion. It was the world's 112th-largest exporter, with 0.04% of world exports. Its top export was crude petroleum (63.5% of the total) and its main trading partner was China (43.7% of its trade).

Summary

Exports
$8.5billion
Imports
$4.9billion
Trade balance
+$3.7billion
Routes to the main partners. Width: trade value; color: estimated transport mode.SeaAirLand
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Products

What it exports

Crude petroleum (63.5%) and refined copper (21.7%) together make up 85.2% of its exports.

  1. Crude petroleum$5.4 billion · 63.5%
    Main partner: China
  2. Refined copper$1.9 billion · 21.7%
    Main partner: India
  3. Refined petroleum$328 million · 3.8%
    Main partner: Singapore
  4. Tin ore$146 million · 1.7%
    Main partner: Thailand
  5. Sawn wood$145 million · 1.7%
    Main partner: China
  6. Natural gas and LPG$144 million · 1.7%
    Main partner: Spain
  7. Logs$122 million · 1.4%
    Main partner: China
  8. Cocoa beans$90 million · 1.1%
    Main partner: Netherlands
  9. Diamonds$35 million · 0.41%
    Main partner: Lebanon
  10. Cobalt$30 million · 0.35%
    Main partner: Malaysia

What it imports

Dredgers and floating cranes (12.7%) and poultry meat (3.7%) together make up 16.4% of its imports.

  1. Dredgers and floating cranes$618 million · 12.7%
    Main partner: Guyana
  2. Poultry meat$179 million · 3.7%
    Main partner: Brazil
  3. Palm oil$107 million · 2.2%
    Main partner: Indonesia
  4. Cameras and broadcast equipment$96 million · 2%
    Main partner: China
  5. Parts for cranes and excavators$93 million · 1.9%
    Main partner: China
  6. Generating sets$88 million · 1.8%
    Main partner: China
  7. Rice$76 million · 1.6%
    Main partner: Thailand
  8. Cables and wire$68 million · 1.4%
    Main partner: China
  9. Seamless steel pipes$67 million · 1.4%
    Main partner: China
  10. Tugboats$64 million · 1.3%
    Main partner: Angola
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
ChapterExportsImports
27 · Oil, gas and coal$5.9 billion$66 million
74 · Copper$1.9 billion$11 million
44 · Wood$290 million$8 million
26 · Ores and slag$185 million$743 thousand
18 · Cocoa and chocolate$90 million$16 million
71 · Gems and precious metals$36 million$3 million
81 · Other base metals$30 million$2 million
09 · Coffee, tea and spices$26 million$6 million
72 · Iron and steel$25 million$41 million
76 · Aluminum$14 million$34 million
84 · Mechanical machinery$8 million$660 million
79 · Zinc$8 million$453 thousand
23 · Animal feed and food waste$5 million$6 million
25 · Salt, stone and cement$5 million$18 million
03 · Fish and seafood$5 million$87 million
80 · Tin$4 million$20 thousand
78 · Lead$4 million$923 thousand
15 · Fats and oils$3 million$119 million
97 · Art and antiques$3 million$27 thousand
38 · Miscellaneous chemicals$3 million$47 million
12 · Oilseeds and grains$2 million$2 million
40 · Rubber$2 million$32 million
90 · Precision and medical instruments$2 million$67 million
73 · Iron and steel products$1 million$286 million
20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables$1 million$16 million
10 · Cereals$1 million$132 million
49 · Books and printed matter$1 million$17 million
02 · Meat and offal$1 million$279 million
85 · Electrical and electronic equipment$1 million$458 million
11 · Milling products and malt$929 thousand$34 million
56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope$923 thousand$6 million
13 · Gums and plant extracts$833 thousand$12 million
87 · Vehicles$685 thousand$241 million
08 · Fruit and nuts$595 thousand$3 million
29 · Organic chemicals$497 thousand$23 million
01 · Live animals$475 thousand$814 thousand
07 · Vegetables$463 thousand$12 million
91 · Watches and clocks$429 thousand$8 million
33 · Perfumes and cosmetics$423 thousand$49 million
30 · Pharmaceuticals$290 thousand$62 million
39 · Plastics$278 thousand$137 million
70 · Glass$180 thousand$19 million
63 · Home textiles and used clothing$176 thousand$42 million
94 · Furniture and lighting$167 thousand$102 million
82 · Tools and cutlery$103 thousand$23 million
28 · Inorganic chemicals$82 thousand$11 million
62 · Woven clothing$74 thousand$79 million
86 · Railway equipment$74 thousand$20 million
68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles$71 thousand$15 million
75 · Nickel$67 thousand$300 thousand
89 · Ships and boats$58 thousand$795 million
59 · Coated and technical textiles$52 thousand$4 million
83 · Miscellaneous metal goods$51 thousand$28 million
61 · Knitted clothing$48 thousand$68 million
22 · Beverages and spirits$42 thousand$49 million
96 · Other manufactured goods$34 thousand$11 million
24 · Tobacco$33 thousand$34 million
32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents$33 thousand$20 million
34 · Soap and cleaning products$33 thousand$36 million
64 · Footwear$30 thousand$46 million
60 · Knitted fabric$27 thousand$940 thousand
21 · Food preparations$27 thousand$50 million
04 · Dairy, eggs and honey$23 thousand$20 million
54 · Synthetic filaments$22 thousand$25 million
58 · Special fabrics and lace$21 thousand$2 million
52 · Cotton$20 thousand$27 million
42 · Leather goods and bags$19 thousand$21 million
88 · Aircraft and spacecraft$18 thousand$2 million
67 · Feathers and artificial flowers$18 thousand$5 million
19 · Baked goods and cereal products$18 thousand$77 million
95 · Toys and sports gear$18 thousand$10 million
92 · Musical instruments$14 thousand$181 thousand
47 · Wood pulp$13 thousand$40 thousand
16 · Prepared meat and fish$11 thousand$31 million
35 · Glues, starches and enzymes$10 thousand$6 million
48 · Paper and paperboard$9 thousand$58 million
57 · Carpets and rugs$7 thousand$3 million
36 · Explosives and matches$6 thousand$5 million
14 · Other plant products$4 thousand$164 thousand
69 · Ceramics$2 thousand$57 million
53 · Other plant fibers$2 thousand$263 thousand
17 · Sugar and sweets$2 thousand$34 million
65 · Hats$1 thousand$2 million
31 · Fertilizers$786$9 million
46 · Wicker and basketware$546$136 thousand
06 · Live plants and flowers$314$332 thousand
05 · Other animal products$169$6 million
55 · Synthetic staple fibers$156$9 million
37 · Photographic goods$49$386 thousand
66 · Umbrellas and canes$27$4 million
51 · Wool$13$29 thousand
93 · Weapons and ammunition$0$2 million
45 · Cork$0$19 thousand
43 · Fur and fur goods$0$13 thousand
41 · Hides and leather$0$1 thousand
50 · Silk$0$355

Trading partners

China is its main destination (49.3% of exports) and source (34% of imports).

Who it sells to

PartnerValue (USD billions)ShareMode
China4.249.3%Sea
India0.67%Sea
Thailand0.536.2%Sea
Singapore0.475.5%Sea
Saudi Arabia0.44.7%Sea
Malaysia0.384.5%Sea
Greece0.333.9%Sea
Italy0.273.1%Sea
Netherlands0.222.6%Sea
United Kingdom0.161.9%Sea

Who it buys from

PartnerValue (USD billions)ShareMode
China1.734%Sea
Guyana0.418.5%Sea
France0.398%Sea
United States0.234.7%Sea
Angola0.224.4%Land
India0.173.5%Sea
Netherlands0.122.5%Sea
Brazil0.122.5%Sea
Italy0.122.4%Sea
Turkey0.122.4%Sea

Overview 1995–2024

In 2024, the Republic of the Congo accounted for 0.04% of world exports, compared with 0.03% in 1995.

Exports and imports

Exports grew 5.5-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 8.5
  • Imports 4.9
  • Balance +3.7

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$1.5 billion$780 million$767 million
1996$1.6 billion$1.3 billion$255 million
1997$2.5 billion$726 million$1.7 billion
1998$1.5 billion$881 million$656 million
1999$1.9 billion$600 million$1.3 billion
2000$3.1 billion$706 million$2.4 billion
2001$2.4 billion$1.1 billion$1.4 billion
2002$2.2 billion$937 million$1.3 billion
2003$2.7 billion$1 billion$1.7 billion
2004$4.2 billion$1.1 billion$3.1 billion
2005$6.3 billion$1.6 billion$4.7 billion
2006$9.5 billion$1.9 billion$7.6 billion
2007$9.7 billion$5.7 billion$4 billion
2008$14.5 billion$5 billion$9.5 billion
2009$9.2 billion$5.4 billion$3.7 billion
2010$13.3 billion$5.3 billion$8 billion
2011$15.2 billion$8.6 billion$6.7 billion
2012$8.5 billion$8.1 billion$375 million
2013$13.8 billion$9.5 billion$4.3 billion
2014$11.7 billion$12 billion-$233 million
2015$11.8 billion$12.4 billion-$555 million
2016$9.7 billion$15 billion-$5.4 billion
2017$10.9 billion$4.7 billion$6.2 billion
2018$13.5 billion$4.2 billion$9.3 billion
2019$11.5 billion$2.9 billion$8.6 billion
2020$7.8 billion$3 billion$4.9 billion
2021$11 billion$3.3 billion$7.7 billion
2022$14.9 billion$4.3 billion$10.6 billion
2023$13 billion$5.6 billion$7.5 billion
2024$8.5 billion$4.9 billion$3.7 billion

World rank

The Republic of the Congo fell from 99th to 112th among the world's exporters

Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).

  • 99th in 1995
  • 112th in 2024

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearRank
199599th
1996105th
199790th
1998105th
1999101st
200090th
200199th
2002103rd
2003103rd
200494th
200586th
200678th
200781st
200878th
200981st
201076th
201177th
2012100th
201383rd
201493rd
201586th
201689th
201790th
201885th
201991st
2020100th
202197th
202291st
202394th
2024112th

What it sells

Its top export group is still oil, gas and coal: 69% in 2024

% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.

  • Other 1%
  • Coffee, tea and spices 0%
  • Other base metals 0%
  • Gems and precious metals 0%
  • Cocoa and chocolate 1%
  • Ores and slag 2%
  • Wood 3%
  • Copper 22%
  • Oil, gas and coal 69%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Chapter19952024
Oil, gas and coal56.9%69.1%
Copper0.05%22%
Wood11%3.4%
Ores and slag0%2.2%
Cocoa and chocolate0.03%1.1%
Gems and precious metals29.1%0.42%
Other base metals0.04%0.35%
Coffee, tea and spices0.14%0.31%
Other2.8%1.3%

Who it trades with

China went from 0.4% to 44% of the Republic of the Congo's trade

% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.

  • China 44%
  • India 6%
  • Thailand 4%
  • Singapore 4%
  • France 3%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
Partner19952024
China0.44%43.7%
India0.08%5.7%
Thailand0.48%4.4%
Singapore0.09%3.7%
France14.3%3.4%

Production hubs

Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)

  • Lower Congo basin (conventional offshore)Oil and gas · 3.9 Mt CO₂e
  • Lower Congo basin (conventional onshore)Oil and gas · 3.3 Mt CO₂e
  • Lower Congo basin (LNG)Oil and gas · 2.4 Mt CO₂e
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Largest economic production hubs (gridded GDP, 2024)

No hubs above the globe threshold.

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Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Ranks are computed among the countries with data each year. Services are not included. Data up to 2024.

Neighboring countries

Main partners

See all countries