Located on the western coast of Central Africa, the Republic of the Congo shipped US$8.55 billion worth of exported products around the world in 2024.

That calculated dollar amount results from a 71.8% acceleration from $4.98 billion 5 years earlier in 2020.

Year over year, the overall value of goods exported from the Republic of the Congo fell by -9.7% compared to $9.5 billion in 2023.

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 2024, the Congo’s official currency is the Central African CFA franc. Congo’s adopted currency weakened by -4.9% against the US dollar since 2020 but was stable from 2023 to 2024. 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 starting from American currency.

The 5 biggest exports from the Republic of the Congo in 2024 were crude oil, refined copper plus unwrought alloys, processed petroleum oils, sawn wood, then rough wood. Combined, that quintet of leading exported product groupings represents 92.7% 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 6.31 million people, its total $8.55 billion in 2024 exports translates to roughly $1,350 for every resident in the Central African country. That per-capita export amount lags the average $2,300 one year earlier in 2023.

Republic of the Congo’s Top 10 Exports

The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Congo’s global shipments during 2024. 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$5.9 billion (69.1% of total exports)
2. Copper: $1.9 billion (21.7%)
3. Wood: $357.8 million (4.2%)
4. Ores, slag, ash: $185.5 million (2.2%)
5. Cocoa: $91.8 million (1.1%)
6. Other base metals: $29.6 million (0.3%)
7. Coffee, tea, spices: $23.7 million (0.3%)
8. Iron, steel: $21.9 million (0.3%)
9. Aluminum: $10.1 million (0.1%)
10. Machinery including computers: $8.5 million (0.1%)

Congo’s top 10 exported product categories accounted for 99.3% of the overall value of its global shipments.

Coffee, tea and spices represent the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 74,081% from 2023 to 2024.

In second place for improving export sales was cocoa via a 14,086% advance.

Congo ‘s shipments of ores, slag and ash posted the third-fastest gain in value, up by 10,410%.

The severest decliner among Congo ‘s top 10 export categories was machinery including computers, thanks to a -77.2% year-over-year drop.

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 63.5% of the country’s total by value during 2024. In second place were refined copper plus unwrought alloys (21.4%) trailed by processed petroleum oils (3.9%), sawn wood (2.1%), rough wood (1.8%), tin ores and concentrates (1.7%), petroleum gases (also 1.7%), cocoa beans (1.1%), cobalt (0.3%) then coffee (also 0.3%).

Republic of the Congo’s Major Trading Partners

The latest available country-specific data from 2023 shows that 90% of products exported from the Congo were bought by importers in: mainland China (54.4% of Congo’s total), Netherlands (10.6%), India (5.5%), United States of America (3.6%), Malaysia (2.7%), Portugal (2.4%), Namibia (2.1%), Switzerland (2%), Canada (1.8%), United Kingdom (1.8%), Togo (1.6%) and Brazil (1.5%).

From a continental perspective, 64.4% of Congo ‘s exports by value was delivered to Asian countries while 19.6% was sold to importers in Europe. Congo shipped another 9% worth of goods to nations in fellow African countries.

Smaller percentages went to customers in North America (5.4%), Latin America excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean (1.5%) then Oceania (0.1%) mostly Australia.

Products Generating Greatest Trade Surpluses for the Congo

The Republic of the Congo posted an estimated $3.8 billion trade surplus in 2024, reducing by -19.9% from its $4.8 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$5.8 billion (Down by -25.9% since 2023)
2. Copper: $1.8 billion (Up by 2386.3%)
3. Wood: $350.4 million (Up by 48.9%)
4. Ores, slag, ash: $184.8 million (Up by 25705.3%)
5. Cocoa: $73.7 million (Reversing a -$2.5 million deficit)
6. Other base metals: $28 million (Reversing a -$350,000 deficit)
7. Coffee, tea, spices: $18.6 million (Reversing an -$856,000 deficit)
8. Zinc: $7.7 million (Down by -75.2%)
9. Tin: $3.8 million (Reversing a -$24,000 deficit)
10. Collector items, art, antiques: $2.9 million (Reversing a -$69,000 deficit)

Historically, 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$661.7 million (Up by 4.9% since 2023)
2. Ships, boats: -$642 million (Down by -1862.1%)
3. Electrical machinery, equipment: -$433.3 million (Up by 81.9%)
4. Articles of iron or steel: -$286.5 million (Down by -25.7%)
5. Meat: -$284.7 million (Down by -26.2%)
6. Vehicles: -$241.8 million (Up by 35.1%)
7. Cereals: -$141.7 million (Up by 20.2%)
8. Plastics, plastic articles: -$131.1 million (Up by 45.8%)
9. Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: -$112.5 million (Down by -7.1%)
10. Furniture, bedding, lighting , signs, prefab buildings: -$99.2 million (Up by 334.4%)

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 21.2% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2024 ($40.3 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 19.8% for 2024, down from an average 20.1% in 2023 according to Trading Economics statistics.

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 November 29, 2025

Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on November 29, 2025

International Monetary Fund, Exchange Rates selected indicators (Domestic Currency per U.S. dollar, period average). Accessed on November 29, 2025

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

. Accessed on November 29, 2025

International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on November 29, 2025

Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on November 29, 2025

Wikipedia, Republic of the Congo . Accessed on November 29, 2025

Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on November 29, 2025

Wikipedia, List of Companies of the Republic of the Congo. Accessed on November 29, 2025

Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on November 29, 2025