Located on the western coast of Central Africa, the Republic of the Congo shipped US$11.1 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2022.

That estimated dollar amount results from a flatlining -1.7% drop from $11.3 billion for 2018.

Year over year, the overall value of goods exported from the Republic of the Congo accelerated by 370.3% compared to $2.4 billion in 2021.

Alternatively called Congo-Brazzaville referring to the nation’s capital, the Congo Republic, the Congo or simply Congo, the Republic of the Congo borders the Central African Republic to its northeast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to its southeast, Angola’s enclave Cabinda to its south, Gabon to its west, Cameroon to its northwest.

Based on the average exchange rate for 2022, the Congo’s official currency is the Central African CFA franc. Congo’s adopted currency shrank by -12.3% against the US dollar since 2018 and diluted by -12.5% from 2021 to 2022. Consequently, the Republic of the Congo’s weaker local currency makes its exports paid for in stonger US dollars relatively less expensive for international buyers.

The 5 biggest exports from the Republic of the Congo in 2022 were crude oil, refined petroleum oils, rough wood, sawn wood, then tin ores and concentrates. Combined, that quintet of leading exported product groupings represents 95.1% of the country’s total exports by value. That percentage and relatively limited range of goods indicates Congo’s highly concentrated portfolio of export products.

Given the Republic of the Congo’s population of 4.92 million people, its total $11.1 billion in 2022 exports translates to roughly $2,300 for every resident in the Central African country. That per-capita export amount is much higher than the average $500 one year earlier in 2021.

Republic of the Congo’s Top 10 Exports

The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Congo’s global shipments during 2022. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from the Republic of the Congo.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: US$9.2 billion (82.7% of total exports)
2. Copper: $1.1 billion (9.6%)
3. Wood: $380.3 million (3.4%)
4. Ores, slag, ash: $289.5 million (2.6%)
5. Zinc: $52.2 million (0.5%)
6. Cocoa: $25 million (0.2%)
7. Iron, steel: $17.5 million (0.2%)
8. Coffee, tea, spices: $15.7 million (0.1%)
9. Aluminum: $6.2 million (0.1%)
10. Food industry waste, animal fodder: $5.9 million (0.1%)

Congo’s top 10 exported product categories accounted for 99.4% of the overall value of its global shipments.

Coffee, tea and spices represent the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 25,173% from 2021 to 2022.

In second place for improving export sales was the ores, slag and ash via a 24,836% advance, led by zinc and copper ores and concentrates.

Congo ‘s shipments of aluminum posted the third-fastest gain in value, up by 1,930%.

The most modest increase among Congo ‘s top 10 export categories was wood, thanks to its 10.7% year-over-year gain.

From the more granular four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level, crude oil represents the Republic of the Congo’s most valuable exported product equaling 81.9% of the country’s total by value during 2022. In second place were refined petroleum oils (9%) trailed by rough wood (1.7%), sawn wood (1.5%), tin ores and concentrates (1.2%), niobium or zirconium ores and concentrates (0.8%), processed petroleum oils (0.6%), unwrought zinc (0.5%), copper ores and concentrates (0.4%), then cocoa beans (0.2%).

Republic of the Congo’s Major Trading Partners

The latest available country-specific data shows that 88.4% of products exported from the Republic of the Congo was bought by importers in: mainland China (45.8% of Congo’s total), Ivory Coast (8.6%), Togo (7.5%), Cameroon (5.4%), Gabon (4%), India (3.13%), United Arab Emirates (3.12%), Australia (2.9%), Singapore (2.3%), Angola (2.2%), Belgium (1.9%) and France (1.7%).

From a continental perspective, 57.4% of Congo’s exports by value was delivered to Asian countries while 30.5% was sold to importers in fellow African countries. The Republic of the Congo shipped another 8.4% worth of goods to fellow nations in Europe.

Smaller percentages went to customers in Oceania (2.9%) mostly Australia, North America (0.7%) then Latin America (0.03%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean.

Products Generating Greatest Trade Surpluses for the Congo

The Republic of the Congo posted an estimated $7.6 billion trade surplus in 2022, expanding by 70,449% from its $10.7 million in black ink one year earlier.

The following types of product shipments from the Congo represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: US$9.1 billion (Up by 660.2% since 2021)
2. Copper: $1.1 billion (Up by 1294.4%)
3. Wood: $375.4 million (Up by 9.9%)
4. Ores, slag, ash: $289.1 million (Up by 30823.7%)
5. Zinc: $51 million (Up by 67.1%)
6. Cocoa: $20.2 million (Reversing a -$1.1 billion deficit)
7. Coffee, tea, spices: $10.9 million (Reversing a -$1.3 billion deficit)
8. Lead: $3 million (Up by 942%)
9. Other base metals: $1.7 million (Reversing a -$377,000 deficit)
10. Collector items, art, antiques: $1.5 million (Up by 49.2%)

The Republic of the Congo generated highly positive net exports in the international trade of crude and refined petroleum oils as well as petroleum gases. These cashflows indicate the Congo’s strong competitive advantages under the mineral fuels including oil product category.

Products Causing Biggest Trade Deficits for the Congo

Below are exports from the Republic of the Congo that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country ‘s goods trail the Congo’s importer spending on foreign products.

1. Machinery including computers: -US$354.5 million (Up by 152.1% since 2021)
2. Meat: -$285.6 million (Up by 12.3%)
3. Electrical machinery, equipment: -$206.9 million (Up by 126%)
4. Pharmaceuticals: -$203.5 million (Up by 151.7%)
5. Articles of iron or steel: -$167 million (Up by 164.9%)
6. Cereals: -$156.2 million (Up by 12.7%)
7. Vehicles: -$154.1 million (Reversing a $1.5 million deficit)
8. Ships, boats: -$147.7 million (Reversing a $107.7 million deficit)
9. Plastics, plastic articles: -$98.4 million (Up by 120.3%)
10. Cereal/milk preparations: -$97.4 million (Up by 50.8%)

The Republic of the Congo incurred highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits under the product category entitled machinery including computers.

Republic of the Congo’s Export Companies

Not one Congolese corporation ranks among Forbes Global 2000.

Wikipedia lists companies that directly or indirectly support international trade with the Republic of the Congo. Shown below are selected examples of companies headquartered in the Congo’s capital city Brazzaville.

• Development Bank of the Central African States (member-state bank)
• Mistral Aviation (airliner)
• Warid Congo (mobile telecommunications)

In macroeconomic terms, the Republic of the Congo’s total exported goods represent 42.8% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2022 ($26 billion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That percentage provides a benchmark for how much the Republic of the Congo relies on products sold on international markets for its total economic performance.

Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its unemployment rate. The Congo’s unemployment rate averaged 21.8% for 2022, down from an average 22.2% in 2021 according to Trading Economics.

Brazzaville serves as the capital city for the Republic of the Congo.

See also Top African Export Countries, South Africa’s Top 10 Exports, Nigeria’s Top 10 Exports and Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Top 10 Exports

Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Africa: the Republic of the Congo . Accessed on October 18, 2023

Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on October 18, 2023

International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (Domestic Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on October 18, 2023

International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity)

. Accessed on October 18, 2023

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on October 18, 2023

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on October 18, 2023

Wikipedia, Republic of the Congo . Accessed on October 18, 2023

Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on October 18, 2023

Wikipedia, List of Companies of the Republic of the Congo. Accessed on October 18, 2023

Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on October 18, 2023