The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) fell to third place among China’s top African trading partners in 2025, with trade totaling $26.7 billion – $5.1 billion in Chinese exports and $21.6 billion in imports from the DRC.
Sino-Congolese trade grew by just 3.1% in 2025, losing its momentum from 2024, during which the trade relationship grew by an exceptional 38.6%. Following the trend, Congolese exports to China rose by only 0.2%, down sharply from 51.8% the previous year.
The massive slowdown can be largely attributed to the DRC’s February 2025 ban on cobalt exports. Given the central role of copper and cobalt in Congolese exports, the ban inevitably affected bilateral trade flows. Despite this decline, the DRC continues to record a large trade surplus with China, estimated at nearly $16 billion.
