DRC Pushes Regional Trade Integration Through Corridor Development at Lubumbashi Conference
DRC Import-Export Conference in Lubumbashi Focuses on Trade Corridors to Boost African Economic Integration
The third edition of the Import-Export Conference opened on Thursday, April 23, 2026, in Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga province.
Organized by the Federation of Enterprises of Congo (FEC), the two-day event brings together public and private sector stakeholders to discuss how transport corridors can drive economic and trade integration across Africa.
Participants include government officials, business leaders, freight forwarders, bankers, and mining sector representatives.
The discussions center on the theme: “The DRC at the heart of the challenges of developing corridors for better economic and trade integration in Africa.”
Strategically located in the center of the continent, the Democratic Republic of Congo shares borders with nine countries, positioning it as a natural hub linking Central, East, and Southern Africa, as well as access routes to both the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Despite this advantage, stakeholders note that the country’s transit potential remains underdeveloped.
Speaking at the opening, FEC Haut-Katanga president Patrick Muland highlighted key obstacles limiting trade growth, including high logistics costs, weak transport infrastructure, and persistent non-tariff barriers that slow cross-border movement of goods.
Over the course of the conference, participants are exploring practical solutions, particularly the use of public-private partnerships to finance infrastructure development.
Emphasis is also placed on improving multimodal transport systems to enhance efficiency in goods movement.
Experts stress the importance of better integration between rail and road networks to reduce transportation costs and improve supply chain fluidity.
Modernizing the railway system is seen as a critical step toward enabling large-scale freight transport across the region.
The conference also serves as a platform for dialogue and coordination among stakeholders, with the goal of producing actionable recommendations to strengthen regional trade corridors.
The event, launched by Haut-Katanga Governor Martin Kazembe, is scheduled to conclude on April 24, 2026, in Lubumbashi.
