The DRC posted a trade surplus of 1.689 billion USD at the end of August 2020, but down 7.07% compared to 2019
The DRC’s exports are valued at USD 7 billion 205.27 million against imports of USD 5 billion 515.79 million, showing a positive trade balance of around USD 1 billion 689.48 million at the end of August 2020, according to data from the Central Bank of Congo.
The trade balance for the first 8 months of the year 2020 is down 7.07% compared to the same period in 2019 which was 1 billion 818.07 billion USD.
The Central Bank explains this drop in the trade balance by the implementation of containment measures in response to covid-19 since March 2020; closing borders to protect against the coronavirus pandemic; and by declining global demand.
A country’s trade balance is the difference, in terms of monetary value, between exports and imports of goods or goods and services in an economy over a period of time. We also talk about trade balance. A positive trade balance means that the country exports more goods and services than it imports: this is referred to as a “trade surplus” or “surplus balance”. When it is negative, we speak of a “trade deficit”.
