Donald Trump restores preferential trade status of the DRC with the United States
US President Donald Trump in Washington on December 7, 2020 © SAUL LOEB / AFP
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5 mins
After almost ten years of exclusion, the Democratic Republic of the Congo will once again be able to benefit from the trade preferences offered by AGOA.
This decision was taken by outgoing US President Donald Trump, as the United States emerges as one of President Tshisekedi's privileged allies.
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On May 19, 2020, Constance Hamilton, United States Deputy Representative for Foreign Trade for Africa, formally wrote to the Congolese authorities to discuss the conditions for the restoration of the DRC in the AGOA program, the American law on growth and economic opportunities in Africa.
At the time, the country lived at the pace of the beginning of the
trial of Vital Kamerhe
, chief of staff of the president, accused and since convicted of embezzlement, while Washington had asked for efforts in the fight against corruption.
It will be necessary to wait until November for the procedure to be really relaunched.
Kinshasa then highlights advances dating from the Tshisekedi era in various fields, the release of political prisoners, the return of personalities in exile, the creation of the anti-corruption agency or even the free access to the primary education.
But among the advances cited, there are also some of the oldest, dating from the Kabila era, such as membership of OHADA which harmonizes business law in Africa or the creation of a one-stop shop.
New economic opportunities?
The Congolese head of state of course welcomed this decision and the United States ambassador in the DRC praised the efforts of Félix Tshisekedi which could "
open up important economic opportunities
".
For his part, a former official minimizes.
He assures that the DRC of Joseph Kabila had protested against his exclusion, because it looked "
bad
", but that the country had lost nothing.
"
This does not concern mineral resources, we exported nothing to the United States except a little coffee,
" he explains, convinced that this is a purely political announcement.
According to him, it could also be about President Trump's desire to impose this restoration on the next American administration and perpetuate the status of the new Congolese head of state as a privileged partner.
►Also read: Will the presidential election in the United States change anything in the DRC?
For the Minister of Foreign Trade who has just joined the Tshisekedi camp, the exclusion from AGOA had really penalized the country.
Jean-Lucien Bussa speaks of more than 623 million dollars in exports to the United States, mainly agricultural products, in 2011 against only 21 million in 2019.
It will benefit local and foreign economic operators.
And at the same time, it will allow our economy to change its export structure to the United States, for example.
Jean-Lucien Bussa, Minister of Foreign Trade on the return of the DRC to AGOA
Sonia rolley
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DRC
Trade and Trade
Donald trump