regional rush

From Goma to Kinshasa, Uganda plans to capture a bigger share of the DRC’s trade market

By Musinguzi Blanshe
Posted on Thursday, 21 July 2022 16:42

A trader transports merchandise on a tricycle during market day close to the border with Uganda in Bunagana town 14 May 2013. REUTERS/James Akena

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) officially became a member of the East African Community (EAC) on 11 July after submitting instruments of ratification to the bloc secretariat.

From petroleum products to biscuits, DRC offers a market of about 90 million people that other EAC members hope to tap into, a study by East African Community Business Council (EABC) has revealed.

Another report by the Economic Policy Research Centre (a think tank in Kampala) also showed that EAC’s trade could increase by 28% due to the DRC’s formal integration into the bloc based on figures from 2018 when exports were worth $880m.

READ MORE Why Kenya sees DRC's entry as a game-changer to intra-regional trade in East Africa

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