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Trade between China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

In 2024, China exported $4.3 billion to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and imported $21.6 billion. China ran a deficit of $17.3 billion with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, compared with a deficit of $3.6 billion in 2019. The Democratic Republic of the Congo was China’s 37th largest trading partner (0.5% of its trade), and China was the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s largest (63%).

Summary

China → Democratic Republic of the Congo
$4.3billion
Democratic Republic of the Congo → China
$21.6billion
China’s balance
-$17.3billion

Balance

China’s trade balance with the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Trade between China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo grew 610.2-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). China’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 4.3
  • Imports 21.6
  • Balance -17.3

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$41 million$1 million$40 million
1996$43 million$2 million$41 million
1997$29 million$2 million$28 million
1998$61 million$2 million$59 million
1999$9 million$1 million$7 million
2000$18 million$975 thousand$17 million
2001$13 million$8 million$5 million
2002$19 million$12 million$6 million
2003$25 million$26 million-$824 thousand
2004$37 million$100 million-$63 million
2005$50 million$176 million-$126 million
2006$69 million$369 million-$300 million
2007$94 million$460 million-$366 million
2008$235 million$1.6 billion-$1.3 billion
2009$321 million$1.1 billion-$815 million
2010$473 million$2.5 billion-$2 billion
2011$827 million$3.2 billion-$2.3 billion
2012$837 million$3.5 billion-$2.7 billion
2013$949 million$2.7 billion-$1.8 billion
2014$1.4 billion$2.8 billion-$1.4 billion
2015$1.4 billion$2.6 billion-$1.2 billion
2016$1 billion$2.3 billion-$1.3 billion
2017$990 million$4 billion-$3 billion
2018$1.7 billion$7.8 billion-$6.1 billion
2019$2.3 billion$5.9 billion-$3.6 billion
2020$2 billion$9.3 billion-$7.3 billion
2021$2.2 billion$14.9 billion-$12.7 billion
2022$4.3 billion$16.2 billion-$11.9 billion
2023$6.9 billion$16.6 billion-$9.7 billion
2024$4.3 billion$21.6 billion-$17.3 billion

What they sell each other

What China sells to the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Trucks$241 million · 5.6%
    83 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  2. Sorting and crushing machines$177 million · 4.1%
    37 thousand tonnes
  3. Bulldozers and excavators$142 million · 3.3%
    34 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  4. Generating sets$108 million · 2.5%
    10 thousand tonnes
  5. Wigs$105 million · 2.4%
    756 tonnes
  6. Cameras and broadcast equipment$105 million · 2.4%
    1 thousand tonnes
  7. Liquid pumps$90 million · 2.1%
    8 thousand tonnes
  8. Centrifuges and filters$84 million · 1.9%
    11 thousand tonnes
  9. Cables and wire$83 million · 1.9%
    12 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  10. New tires$78 million · 1.8%
    26 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations

What the Democratic Republic of the Congo sells to China

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Refined copper$14 billion · 64.9%
    1.5 million tonnes · the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s destinations
  2. Cobalt$3 billion · 14%
    628 thousand tonnes
  3. Copper ore$2.5 billion · 11.7%
    625 thousand tonnes · the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s destinations
  4. Unrefined copper$1.1 billion · 5.2%
    124 thousand tonnes
  5. Tin ore$601 million · 2.8%
    34 thousand tonnes
  6. Crude petroleum$154 million · 0.71%
    244 thousand tonnes · China’s sources
  7. Niobium, tantalum, vanadium and zirconium ore$55 million · 0.25%
    1 thousand tonnes
  8. Logs$54 million · 0.25%
    165 thousand tonnes · China’s sources
  9. Copper master alloys$14 million · 0.07%
    5 thousand tonnes
  10. Copper matte$12 million · 0.06%
    2 thousand tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Shanghai to Matadi.

The estimated sea route between Shanghai and Matadi is 9,721 nautical miles (18,002 km) long: ≈ 22.5–29 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Passages it crosses: Strait of Malacca and Singapore; and Cape of Good Hope.

Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$25.5 billion · 98.5%
  2. Air$386 million · 1.5%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

The Democratic Republic of the Congo was China’s 37th largest trading partner (0.5% of its trade), and China was the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s largest (63%).

The Democratic Republic of the Congo in China’s trade
0.5%
The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s rank among China’s partners
37th
China in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s trade
63.1%
China’s rank among the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s partners
1st

Compare with

Other partners of China

Other partners of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.