• DR Congo extended temporary import restrictions on selected goods for another 12 months.

• Authorities aim to cut the import bill and support domestic manufacturing under the “Made in Congo” strategy.

• Officials cite falling prices and rising exports of locally produced goods as early results.

The Ministry of Foreign Trade announced the signing of several ministerial decrees renewing temporary import restrictions. The measures will remain in force for 12 months. Authorities said the decision aligns with the national strategy to reduce the import bill and protect local production, which the government presents as a key pillar of the “Made in Congo” policy.

The decrees specify the geographic scope of the restrictions. In the western part of the country, the measures apply to ceramic tiles, iron bars, ethyl alcohol, and low-voltage copper electrical conductors and cables. In the southeast, the restrictions target stainless steel cathodes, liquid and powdered detergents, and low-voltage copper electrical conductors. In the southern region, the measures cover copper and aluminum electrical conductors, unarmored cables, copper and lead anodes, and rigid polyethylene tubes and pipes. For beer and soft drink imports, the ban applies nationwide.

Foreign Trade Minister Julien Paluku said the measures have already delivered tangible results. In an interview in June 2025, he pointed to a significant decline in tile prices on the Kinshasa market, which he attributed to rising local production. The government also said some products that the country once imported now reach export markets.

Copper electrical cables manufactured in DR Congo now ship to several countries in the region, including Tanzania, Kenya, and Zambia. In 2025, the ministry also said Saphir Ceramics, based in the western part of the country, exported about 300,000 square meters of tiles per month to Congo-Brazzaville.

Several local companies stand to benefit directly from the extended protection framework. Proton, part of the Rawji Group, produces electrical cables in western DR Congo. Mining Engineering Services manufactures copper electrical cables in Lubumbashi, in the southeast. Fameco operates iron bar production facilities in the west.

Breweries and soft drink producers also fall within the scope of the measures. These include Bralima, Bracongo, Brasimba, and Varun Beverages, which produces Pepsi in Kinshasa and is developing a production unit in Lubumbashi.

This article was initially published in French by Timothée Manoke (Bankable)

Adapted in English by Ange J. A. de BERRY QUENUM