Importing from China to the DRC: Customs, DGDA and Costs in 2026

In 2025, Chinese exports to the DRC, in other words Congolese imports from China, reached $5.1 billion, within total bilateral trade of $26.7 billion. That growth slowed to 3.1% in 2025, down from 38.6% in 2024, a slowdown linked to the cobalt export ban that Kinshasa imposed in February 2025.

Africa's top copper producer and the world's top cobalt producer, the country is flagged by US trade services, as of February 20, 2026, as offering opportunities in critical minerals, energy, infrastructure, digital technology and urban consumer goods.

No bilateral free trade agreement between the DRC and China has been identified: these goods enter under the WTO's most-favored-nation regime. The DRC has been a member of SADC since 1997, and belongs to COMESA, ECCAS, the East African Community since 2022, and AfCFTA. The DGDA applies its own tariff, aligned with the 2022 Harmonized System.

The DGDA administers the tariff through 27 offices, which handle more than 95% of transaction volume. The customs duty, assessed on the CIF value, is set in bands: 5% for chemicals, 10% for flour, aggregates and fuels, 20% for clothing, furniture and cigarettes. Some equipment tied to approved investment projects may qualify for an exemption, worth checking with the DGDA before ordering heavy mining equipment. These bands, in effect as of April 21, 2026, should be reconfirmed before ordering.

An excise duty of 5% to 80% applies on top for certain categories, with alcohol, fuel, cosmetics, vehicles and tobacco leading the list. VAT, at 16% under the standard regime, is calculated on the CIF value plus customs duty, any excise, and import-related charges; a reduced 1% rate applies to certain essential goods, and 0% to exports.

The OCC also charges 2% of the FOB value, of which 0.75% goes to Bureau Veritas for the inspection. Example for furniture at 20%, with a CIF value of $10,000: customs duty of $2,000, an OCC fee of around $180, a VAT base of $12,180, VAT of $1,948.80, for a total near $4,130, about 41% of the CIF value, to be recalculated for every order.

The file brings together a commercial invoice, a proforma invoice, a packing list, a bill of lading or air waybill, a certificate of origin (usually required), a certificate of insurance and, depending on the product, an import license, all in the country's official language, French.

Pre-clearance goes through the Guichet unique intégral pour le commerce extérieur (GUICE, segucerdc.com), a single-window platform rolled out at pilot sites in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Matadi, Goma, Boma and Kisangani. The DGDA recommends using a licensed customs broker; post-clearance audits remain possible after release of the goods.

The Office congolais de contrôle (OCC), the national standards body under the Ministry of Commerce, an ISO member accredited by SADCAS, carries out quality, quantity and conformity checks on goods.

For shipments with an FOB value of $2,500 or more, Bureau Veritas (BIVAC) carries out the pre-shipment inspection, verifying that the declared quantity, quality and value match the goods. Exempt are shipments below this threshold, fresh produce, the press, personal effects of returning residents, samples and donations.

Food products are checked against the Codex Alimentarius, sanitary and phytosanitary matters fall under the SQAV at the Ministry of Agriculture, and gold and diamonds under the CEEC, an agency of the Ministry of Mines. In practice, most imports are cleared without close scrutiny: it's still best to confirm your product's exact status before shipping.

Prohibited items include counterfeit currency, obscene publications, narcotics and certain pharmaceutical products, explosive chemical precursors, and goods from embargoed countries.

Weapons and ammunition require a permit from the Ministry of the Interior. Live animals and animal products must meet veterinary requirements and obtain prior authorization.

The port of Matadi, on the Congo River about 150 kilometers from the Atlantic and linked to Kinshasa by a 366-kilometer railway built in the 1890s, remains the main maritime gateway in the west. For the east, Katanga and the two Kivu provinces, flows move through the northern corridor to Mombasa, the central corridor to Dar es Salaam via Zambia, or the southern corridor via Kasumbalesa.

We found no single, verifiable transit time between southern China and Matadi or the East African ports, routes that most often involve transshipment: ask your freight forwarder before ordering.

FOB from southern China leaves the buyer in control of transport and insurance; CIF or CFR works well when an intermediary organizes the journey. DDP is still not advisable as long as the seller is not itself a registered customs declarant in the DRC.

The Congolese economy is heavily dollarized: the US dollar circulates alongside the Congolese franc. Letters of credit are still used but costly; Citibank is the only US bank present, alongside local banks such as Rawbank or EquityBCDC.

On the supplier payment side, the rule doesn't change: a deposit followed by the balance before shipment, paid into the Chinese company's business account, never a personal account, with any change of bank details received by email checked by a direct phone call before wiring funds.

A first order follows a set sequence: specifications, supplier verification, an approved sample, a proforma invoice spelling out the Incoterm and payment terms, pre-clearance on GUICE, quality control before loading, BIVAC inspection above $2,500 FOB, transport to Matadi or the relevant corridor, then customs clearance on arrival by the client or their broker.

Sorva is a sourcing and trading house working between China and the world, based in Guangzhou's Tianhe district, backed by a Chinese subsidiary whose business scope covers buying, reselling and exporting goods, and by a parent company in France. For a Congolese client, our Chinese-speaking team finds and vets factories, arranges visits and samples, negotiates, has quality checked before loading, and organizes freight to Matadi or the relevant corridor, while gathering the documents needed for the GUICE file and the OCC inspection.

Our subsidiary buys and exports the goods from China: it never stands in for you as the importer of record in the DRC and does not clear customs on arrival, a role that remains that of the client or their licensed broker. For vehicles, no direct export happens without a Chinese exporter holding the relevant licenses from China's Ministry of Commerce.

Our base offer is billed in US dollars outside the European Union, and can be extended with options specific to each market, such as SONCAP support for Nigeria or SABER for Saudi Arabia, quoted on request. In most cases you open a file with no fees: we negotiate the goods and take a commission on their ex-factory value.