Sino-Congolese trade has reached $19.2 billion—what exactly does the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) export to China?

So don’t assume the ‘$19.2 billion in Sino-Congolese trade’ is merely a macro-level statistic between two countries. Break down this figure, and you’ll find it represents countless enterprises, numerous projects, and the livelihoods of countless ordinary people. Some trade in minerals. Some sell equipment. Some repair vehicles. Some handle logistics. Some manage customs clearance. Some build substations. Some supply construction materials. Some run restaurants. Others specialize in providing Chinese enterprises with financial, tax, translation, legal, and business services. Ultimately, macro-level trade boils down to concrete individuals. This is also why so many people keep asking me: ‘Does the DRC really offer opportunities?’ My answer has never been a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ but rather: There’s demand—so there are opportunities; yet having opportunities doesn’t guarantee anyone can profit from them. VII. Before truly entering the DRC, understand the rules first. One of the DRC’s defining characteristics is that opportunity and risk often appear simultaneously. You spot a product selling at a high local price and plan to import it. But first, clarify: Is foreign ownership permitted in this sector? What licenses and permits does your company need? What taxes and duties apply to imports? How do you file customs declarations? How do you vet local partners? How do you collect payments? How do you legally repatriate profits? How do you hire employees? What do you do if audited or inspected by tax, labor, or other government authorities? If these questions remain unresolved beforehand, even a business appearing highly profitable on paper may turn out entirely differently in practice. Precisely for this reason, I’ve compiled the numerous practical issues I’ve encountered over the years while working, living, and engaging in commercial projects in the DRC into: ‘The 2026 Survival & Business Pitfall-Avoidance Handbook for Chinese Nationals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’ This 233-page handbook is accompanied by 18 practical Excel tool templates. Its content covers real-world scenarios—from pre-departure preparations through company registration, taxation, labor, mining, contracts, capital management, project management, security, and local business regulations. The accompanying tools include supplier vetting, verification of mining rights authenticity, procurement price comparison, contract risk assessment, tax audit preparation, cash flow forecasting, project launch checklists, and risk matrices. This is not a get-rich-quick guide claiming ‘gold lies everywhere in the DRC.’ On the contrary, I aim to address a different question: Which pitfalls can realistically be avoided *before* you actually commit your money to the DRC? If you’re considering investing, trading, undertaking engineering projects, or working long-term in the DRC, feel free to message me privately for details about the handbook. Many costly lessons learned from overseas investment simply don’t have to be paid. VIII. The economic relationship between China and the DRC may only just be beginning. $19.2 billion is a large sum—but considering the DRC’s population exceeding 100 million, its vast mineral reserves, and its still-fragile industrial base, the depth of Sino-Congolese economic ties likely remains far from its full potential. Over the past two decades, the dominant narrative has been: China needs the DRC’s resources. What deserves closer attention going forward may be: What kinds of Chinese manufacturing, Chinese technology, and Chinese enterprises does the DRC need? When a country endowed with world-class natural resources begins building up its power grid, roads, telecommunications infrastructure, manufacturing capacity, and industrial supply chains, the resulting business opportunities will extend far beyond mining alone.

China and foreign countries have forged a new path in mineral cooperation.

Reporter Pan Jun Tian On September 10, the ‘Tianjin Declaration on Green Development of the Mining Industry’ (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Tianjin Declaration’) was released at the opening ceremony of the Ministerial Forum on International Mining Cooperation and the 2026 China International Mining Conference. The Tianjin Declaration puts forward proposals across ten areas, including implementing green development concepts, improving resource utilization efficiency, actively addressing climate change, and promoting the application of green and low-carbon technologies. Mineral resources are inherently unevenly distributed globally, and disparities in national development stages further compound differences in supply-demand dynamics across various mineral commodities—making international cooperation imperative. According to the ‘Global Mining Development Report 2026,’ global energy and mineral production and consumption volumes are generally rising, yet their structure is undergoing profound adjustment—with marked variations across individual commodities. For instance: oil faces oversupply; natural gas sees simultaneous growth in both supply and demand; coal output declines while consumption rises; steel supply falls but demand increases; copper and zinc experience growth in both supply and demand; aluminum sees declines in both supply and demand; strategic emerging minerals such as lithium and nickel face widespread oversupply; and precious metals exhibit tight supply relative to demand. Globally, mining companies are increasingly targeting precious metals and critical minerals essential for the energy transition. The ‘Global Mining Development Report 2026’ identifies industrial chain integration as the year’s core trend: In the precious metals sector, firms are accelerating mergers and acquisitions to secure control over high-grade mines; in copper and lithium—the cornerstones of the energy transition—capital competition is intensifying, rapidly elevating industry concentration; and in the non-metallic sector, strategic resources like potash and graphite are witnessing large-scale consolidation waves. Shen Shaoyang, Vice President of Zijin Mining Group, stated: ‘China is the world’s second-largest economy, largest industrial manufacturer, and largest consumer of mineral resources. Its consumption of multiple metallic minerals exceeds 40% of the global total. Meanwhile, China faces shortages of several base metals and certain strategic minerals, resulting in high import dependency. Therefore, sourcing resources globally is an inevitable strategic choice.’ Wang Yongzhong, Director and Research Fellow of the International Commodities Research Division at the Institute of World Economics and Politics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told reporters: ‘China entered the global mining arena relatively late. As Chinese mining enterprises expand overseas, they are placing greater emphasis on environmental protection, ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) practices, legal compliance, and win-win cooperation with local communities.’ Learning International Cooperation Over the past two decades, Chinese mining enterprises’ overseas cooperation has undergone clear cyclical shifts. At the start of the century, as Chinese mining firms began investing abroad, overseas mining investments rose steadily year-on-year; from 2014 to mid-2017, overseas investment slowed; and recently, a new wave of mining investment has emerged. In recent years, Chinese mining enterprises have accelerated their pace of overseas cooperation, focusing primarily on Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia, with target minerals including gold and copper—precious metals—as well as lithium, cobalt, and nickel—new-energy metals. Regarding precious metals: To date, Chinese mining enterprises have invested in gold mines across Kazakhstan, Ecuador, Brazil, and the DRC. In 1998, Chinese mining firms took over the Chambishi Copper Mine in Zambia, Africa. By the end of 2018, Chinese overseas copper mine capacity totaled approximately 1.9 million tonnes per year, with crude copper output reaching 490,000 tonnes annually. According to Shanghai Steel Union statistics, by the end of 2025, Chinese overseas copper mine capacity is projected to reach around 2.6 million tonnes per year. Concerning new-energy metals: Chinese lithium mining investments abroad are concentrated in Africa, Latin America, and Australia—with several Chinese-operated lithium mines already running or under construction in Zimbabwe and Mali. Nickel mining investments are centered in Indonesia, attracting multiple Chinese enterprises including Tsingshan Holding Group, Huayou Cobalt, Gracell, and Zhongwei Co., Ltd.

Mercuria Agrees $250 Million Congo Copper Deal With China Miner

19 hours ago

Mercuria Energy Group secured a $250 million advance payment deal for three years of copper supply from Shanghai Jayson in the DRC. The deal underscores rising trader demand for secure copper access amid soaring prices and involves CATL-linked ownership.

bloomberg

2026-10-14

Mercuria Agrees $250 Million Congo Copper Deal With China Miner

Mercuria Agrees $250 Million Congo Copper Deal With China Miner

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