Republic of Congo
The Republic of Congo is a beneficiary of the Standard GSP. With a per capita income of $2,482 in 2024, the World Bank classifies Congo as a lower middle-income country. In 2024, EU imports from Congo summed up to €2.0 billion, the highest value since 2012. As most of Congo's exports enter the EU duty-free under the EU's normal tariff regime, the scope for preferential GSP imports is limited; these reached €4.8 million in 2024.
What is the GSP?
The Standard GSP targets developing countries that are classified by the World Bank as lower or lower-middle income countries and which do not have equal preferential access to the EU market through any other arrangement. Standard GSP beneficiary countries can benefit from duty suspension for non-sensitive products as well as duty reductions for sensitive products across approximately 66% of all EU tariff lines.
At a glance: EU preferential imports from Standard GSP beneficiary countries (2024, € million)
6.3M (2024)
Population
Presidential Republic
Government
2.6% (2024)
GDP Growth
3.1% (2024)
Inflation
$ 15.7B (2024)
GDP
Facts about Congo's economy
Export Products
Congo's most important export product by far is petroleum oil, and the country ranks among the top 10 of Africa’s oil producers. Other important export products include copper, gold and tropical woods. Cocoa beans are the most important agricultural product for export.
Resource Wealth
The Republic of Congo has substantial mineral resources, the majority of which are yet untapped. Next to petroleum oil, these resources include iron ore, magnesium, diamonds, phosphate, copper, lead, zinc, and gold.
Trade Partners
China and the EU are Congo's most important export markets, with shares of 31% each in 2024. The two largest suppliers, China (23%) and the EU (21%), are also the largest export markets, with a combined share of 62% of Congo's total exports.
Economic Structure
Agriculture contributes a small share to Congo's GDP (9% in 2024), far behind industry (40%) and services (45%). Oil rents contribute about 50% to the government's revenues, one of the highest shares in the world. This leaves the economy vulnerable to volatilities on international energy markets. Other relevant industries in Congo are cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, and palm oil.
Usage of GSP Preferences
As most of Congo's exports enter the EU duty-free under the EU's normal tariff regime, the scope for EBA preferences is limited: less than 1% of imports from Congo were eligible for EBA preferences in 2024. 42% of the eligible imports made use of the preferences.
Trade with the EU
Total trade between the EU and the Republic of Congo amounted to €3.4 billion in 2024. The EU is Congo's second most important trading partner with a share of 27%, behind China (28%).
Congo and the EU
Imports from Congo by product section (2024, € million)
Imports from Congo over time (€ million)
CONGO AND THE EU GSP
Economic Impact
1%
Only a small share of the Republic of Congo's exports to the EU were eligible for GSP preferential tariffs in 2024.
42%
Republic of Congo's preference utilisation rate in 2024.
100%
Share of zero-duty imports from Congo in 2024. Most imports are duty-free under normal EU tariffs.
Preference utilisation and export diversification
EU imports from the Republic of Congo (€ million)
Preference utilisation (%) vs. total eligible imports (in € million)
The vast majority of EU imports from Congo is duty-free and thus not eligible for GSP preferences. Eligible imports have decreased almost steadily since 2012, from more than €80 million then to €11 million in 2024. Congo’s preference utilisation rate has fluctuated heavily over the years, ranging from 42% to 81%. In 2024, the rate stood at 42%.
The largest product sections under the GSP (€ million, 2024)
The EU's preferential imports from Congo are concentrated on one product group, wood and wood products. Until 2023, they had been dominated by mineral products, but these are not imported under the normal MFN tariffs. Although other products are eligible for the GSP preferences, they hardly make use of these preferences, with the exception of precious stones and optical and other instruments.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Congo has a high level of ratification of core international conventions, although the Standard GSP does not require the ratification of any conventions. Congo has ratified all but one of the 15 core conventions on human rights and labour standards. Additionally, Congo has ratified all of the 12 international conventions on environmental protection and on good governance, covering topics like corruption and the control of narcotic drugs, which are listed in the GSP Regulation.
Core international conventions on human rights and labour standards
Ratified
- International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1969)
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1976)
- International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (1976)
- Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1981)
- Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1987)
- Convention on the Rights of the Child (1990)
- Convention concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour, No 29 (1930)
- Convention concerning Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, No 87 (1948)
- Convention concerning the Application of the Principles of the Right to Organise and to Bargain Collectively, No 98 (1949)
- Convention concerning Equal Remuneration of Men and Women Workers for Work of Equal Value, No 100 (1951)
- Convention concerning the Abolition of Forced Labour, No 105 (1957)
- Convention concerning Discrimination in Respect of Employment and Occupation, No 111 (1958)
- Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment, No 138 (1973)
- Convention concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, No 182 (1999)
Not Ratified
- Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948)
Additional Conventions
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (1973)
- Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (1987)
- Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal (1989)
- Convention on Biological Diversity (1992)
- The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992)
- Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (2000)
- Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (2001)
- Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1998)
- United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961)
- United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971)
- United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988)
- United Nations Convention against Corruption (2004)
EU-Congo Bilateral Development Cooperation
DG INTPA
Access all info about EU-Republic of Congo relations on the International Partnerships website.