Egypt and DR Congo trade exchange stands at $461.6mn

The economic partnership between Egypt and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) entered a new phase of strategic evaluation following the latest dataset released by the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS). According to the official report, the value of trade exchange between the two nations reached $461.6 million in 2025. While this figure marks a clear contraction from the $679.1 million recorded in 2024, the structural breakdown of the commodities traded reveals a highly integrated and complementary economic relationship.

The publication of these figures coincided directly with an important diplomatic milestone in Cairo, where President Abdel Fattah El Sisi received Félix Tshisekedi, the President of the DR Congo. Their bilateral meeting aimed to strengthen mutual cooperation and address pressing regional and international issues. This high-level political backing provides a solid framework for navigating the shifting dynamics of their shared trade portfolio, which remains heavily weighted towards industrial commodities and engineering products.

A closer look at the trade balance shows that Egyptian exports to the DR Congo totalled $14.2 million in 2025, down from $17.2 million in 2024. Egypt’s primary outbound shipments were led by electrical machinery and equipment valued at $4.4 million, followed by articles of iron and steel worth $1.9 million. Additionally, processed fruit and vegetable products accounted for $1.6 million, whilst plastics and plastic products contributed $1.2 million, with various other goods making up the remaining $5.1 million. These exports highlight Egypt's role as a supplier of manufactured and processed goods to the Congolese market.

Conversely, Egyptian imports from the DR Congo stood at $447.4 million in 2025, compared with $661.9 million in the previous year. This substantial import volume was heavily dominated by essential raw materials needed for Egypt's domestic industries. Specifically, copper and copper products made up the lion's share at $445.8 million, complemented by tin and tin products worth $1.3 million, and miscellaneous goods valued at approximately $300,000.

Beyond goods, capital and human flows show a deeper cross-border connection. Remittances from Egyptians working in the DR Congo—where roughly 2,000 Egyptians resided at the end of 2024, surged to $8 million during the 2024/2025 fiscal year, up from $2.4 million in 2023/2024. Remittances from Congolese workers in Egypt also rose to $1.5 million from $1.2 million. On the investment front, Congolese inflows into Egypt experienced a massive surge to $3.4 million from just $36,000 in the previous fiscal year. Meanwhile, Egyptian investments in the DR Congo experienced a decline, dropping to $11.8 million from $17.6 million. With Egypt’s population at 109.1 million and the DR Congo’s at 116.2 million as of June 2026, both nations possess the demographic weight to expand this vital economic alliance.