Congo Passport

The Republic of the Congo (La R é publique du Congo), abbreviated as Congo (Brazzaville).

[Area] 342000 square kilometers.     

Population: 6.14 million (2023). There are 56 ethnic groups in the country, belonging to the Bantu language family. The largest ethnic group is the Congolese in the south, including the Lali, Ba Congo, and Veli ethnic groups, accounting for about 45% of the total population; 16% of the population in the north are Mboshi; The Taikai ethnic group in the central region accounts for 20%; There are still a few Pygmy people living in the primitive forests of the north. The official language is French. The ethnic languages in the south are Congolese and Monokutuba, while in the north they are Lingala. More than half of the residents in the country believe in primitive religions, 26% believe in Catholicism, 10% believe in Christianity, and 3% believe in Islam.

Brazzaville, the capital, has a population of 2.73 million (as of 2023) and an average annual temperature of approximately 26 ℃.

[Head of State] Denis SASSOU-N'gUESSO, the President of the Republic, took office in August 1979 and was re elected in July 1984 and July 1989. In 1992, he lost the presidential election. He was re elected as President in October 1997, elected in March 2002, and re elected in July 2009, March 2016, and March 2021.

[Important holiday] August 15th (Independence Day).

【 Overview 】 Located in central western Africa, the equator crosses the center. It borders the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola to the east and south, Central Africa and Cameroon to the north, Gabon to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the southwest, with a coastline of 156 kilometers. The southern region has a tropical grassland climate, while the central and northern regions have a tropical rainforest climate with high temperatures and humidity. The annual average temperature is between 24 and 28 ℃.

In the late 13th and early 14th centuries, the Bantu people established the Kingdom of Congo in the lower reaches of the Congo River. On October 3, 1880, the French formally occupied this land and began their colonial rule. In 1884-1885, the area west of the Congo River was designated as a French colony at the Berlin Conference, now known as Congo (Brazzaville). In 1910, Congo became one of the four territories of French Equatorial Africa (along with Gabon, Chad, and Central Africa), known as Central Congo, and Brazzaville was the capital of French Equatorial Africa. In 1957, it obtained the status of a "semi autonomous republic". In November 1958, it became an "autonomous republic". On August 15, 1960, it declared independence but remained within the French Community and was named the Republic of Congo. On March 27, 1961, Fulbert YOULOU became the President. In 1963, the "August Revolution" broke out, overthrowing the Yulu regime and electing Alphose MASSAMBA-DEBAT as president. On July 31, 1968, Marien NGOUABI and others jointly launched the "July 31 Movement" to overthrow Masamba Deba. In December, Ngowabi became the president and changed the country's name to the People's Republic of Congo in December of the following year. In 1977, Nguwabi was assassinated and Joachim YOUBY-OPANGO became president. In February 1979, the central plenary session of the ruling party, the Congolese Labour Party (abbreviated as the Workers' Party of Congo), dismissed Yongbi and held a special session to elect Sassou as the chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Congo. In August, Sassou became president. The multi-party system was just implemented in 1990. In June 1991, the name of the Republic of Congo was reinstated. In 1992, the first multi-party presidential election was held, and Pascal LISSOUBA, the chairman of the Pan African Social Democratic Union, won and became the president. In 1997, after the civil war, Sassou came to power again.

After returning to power, Sassu implemented policies of peace, unity, and national reconciliation. In January 1998, the National Forum on Reconciliation, Unity, Democracy, and Reconstruction was just held, and it was decided to continue implementing pluralistic democracy, rebuild trust and unity among ethnic groups, and hold presidential elections after a three-year flexible transition period. Afterwards, the government of Congo basically quelled the armed riots nationwide and reached ceasefire and truce agreements with the main anti-government armed factions. Except for the Pur region, the domestic situation gradually returned to stability. In March and April 2001, the non exclusive national dialogue was held in the capital Brazzaville, and a new constitution draft and a peace and reconstruction treaty submitted by the government were adopted. On January 20, 2002, a new constitution was passed through a nationwide referendum. On March 10th, the presidential election was just held, and Sassou was elected with an overwhelming majority. Subsequently, legislative, local, and senatorial elections were successfully held in areas other than Pur province. On August 14th, Sassou assumed the presidency and formed a new government, marking the end of the transitional period. In March 2003, the Congolese government signed a peace agreement with the last anti-government armed group in the province of Poole. On January 7, 2005, the government was just reorganized and four new positions of Prime Minister and State Minister were added. In October, President Sassou approved the return of former Prime Minister Kolilas, who had been in exile for many years. In August 2006, the Political Parties Law was promulgated. In 2007 and 2008, legislative and local elections were just held, and the president was elected with the vast majority of seats. On July 12, 2009, the second presidential election after the civil war was held, and Sassou was re elected with a high number of votes. He was sworn in on August 14. On September 15th, a new government was established, abolishing the position of Prime Minister and appointing five State Ministers. In October 2015, a new constitution was just passed through a national referendum. In the presidential election held in March 2016, Sassou won with 60.39% of the vote. In the presidential election held in March 2021, Sassou won the first round with 88.57% of the vote and was sworn in on April 16th. In mid to late July 2022, the National Assembly and local council elections were held, and the Workers' Party won 112 out of 151 seats and 559 out of 1154 seats respectively.

The new constitution passed by a national referendum in October 2015 is the ninth constitution in history, which stipulates that national sovereignty belongs to the people; The President of the Republic is the head of state and the highest commander of the military, presiding over the Council of Ministers; The Prime Minister is the head of government appointed by the President; The president is elected by direct universal suffrage, and Congolese people over the age of 30 can run for office for a term of 5 years, with the option to be re elected twice; The parliament is composed of the National Assembly and the Senate, with the President and members jointly having the power to propose legislation; The president can dissolve parliament, and parliament can impeach the government. During the vacancy of the presidential position, the Senate President shall act on behalf of the President.

The parliament adopts a bicameral system, including the National Assembly and the Senate, both of which have legislative power. Members of the National Assembly are directly elected for a term of 5 years and are eligible for re-election. The current parliament will be elected in two rounds in mid to late July 2022, with a total of 151 members elected. The National Assembly has eight committees, including Economy, Justice, Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Education, Healthcare, Infrastructure, and Environment. Speaker Isidore MVOUBA, member of the Political Bureau of the Congolese Labour Party.

72 members of the Senate are indirectly elected by the regional electoral college for a term of 6 years and can be re elected. The re-election will be smoothly implemented in August 2023. The Senate has six committees, including Law, Administration and Human Rights, Finance, Production, Equipment and Environment, Diplomacy and Cooperation, Defense and Security, Education, Culture and Technology, Health, Employment and Society. Pierre NGOLO, the President of the Senate elected in September 2023, is a member of the Political Bureau of the Congolese Labour Party.

The new government was established in September 2022, with a total of 38 members. The Prime Minister is Anatole Collinet MAKOSSO. The remaining 37 are: Firmin AYESSA, Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Security; Alphonse Claude NSILOU, Minister of Trade, Supply and Consumption; Pierre OBA, Minister of Mines and Geology; Pierre MABIALA, Minister of Land Affairs and Public Property Management; Jean Jacques BOUYA, Minister of Territorial Consolidation, Infrastructure and Road Maintenance; Charles Richard MONDJO, Minister of Defense; Raymond Z é phirin MBOULOU, Minister of Interior, Decentralization and Local Development Jean Rosaire, Minister of National Supervision, Public Service Quality, and Combating Negative Values (IBASA), Jean Claude GAKOSSO, Minister of Foreign Affairs, French Speaking Countries and Overseas Chinese, Paul Valentin NGOBO, Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Jean Baptiste ONDAYE, Minister of Economy and Finance, Bruno Jean Richard ITOUA, Minister of Oil and Gas, Thierry L é zin MOUNGALA, Minister of Information and Media and Government Spokesperson, Jean Marc THYSTEE TCHICAYA, Minister of Special Economic Zones and Economic Diversification, Transport and Civil Aviation And the Minister of Commerce, Honor é Sayi, and the Chief of Staff and Minister for Justice, Human Rights, and Indigenous Peoples, Ange Aim é Binanga Ingrid Olga Ghislaine EBOUKA Babackas, Minister of Planning, Statistics and Regional Integration; Guy Georges MBAKA, Minister of River Economy and Navigation; Josu é Rodrigue NGOUONIMBA, Minister of Construction, Urban Planning and Housing; Arlette SOUDAN NONAULT, Minister of Environment, Sustainable Development and the Congo Basin; Rosalie MATONDO, Minister of Forestry Economy; and Health and Population. Minister Gilbert MOKOKI, Minister for International Cooperation and Promotion of Public Private Partnership Denis Christel SASSOU-NGUESSO, Emile OUOSSO, Minister of Energy and Water, Hugues NGOUELONDLE, Minister of Youth, Sports, Civic Education, Professional Skills Training and Employment, Antoine Thomas Nic é phore FYLLA SAINT-EUDES, Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Handicrafts, Jacqueline Lydia MIKOLO, and Emmanuel Delphine Edith ADOUKI, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Technological Innovation. Jean Luc MOUTU, Minister of Education and Literacy for Preschool and Junior High Schools, Ghislain Thierry Manguessa EBOME, Minister of Technical Vocational Education; L é on Juste IBOMBO, Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Economy; In è s Nefer Bertille INGANI, Minister of Women's Promotion, Participation in Development and the Informal Economy; Ludovic NGATSE, Minister of Budget, Public Accounts and Treasury; Ir è ne Marie C é cile MBOUKOU KIMA, Minister of Social Affairs, Solidarity and Humanitarian Action MBATSA n é e GOMA, Minister of Culture, Tourism, Arts Industry and Entertainment Lydie Pongault (female), Joseph Luc OKIO, the ministerial representative responsible for national reform in the Prime Minister's Office, and Juste D é sir é MONDELE, the ministerial representative responsible for decentralization and local development in the Ministry of the Interior, Decentralization and Local Development.

[Administrative divisions] The country is divided into 15 provinces, 6 municipalities, and 97 counties.

The Constitution stipulates that judicial power is independent of legislative power and shall not infringe upon the powers of the executive or legislative branches; Judicial power is exercised by the Supreme Court, the Audit and Budget Court, the Court of Appeals, and other national judicial institutions; The President of the Republic presides over the Supreme Judicial Council, ensuring judicial independence through it; Members of the Supreme Court and judges of other levels of courts are appointed by the President based on nominations from the Supreme Judicial Council; Establish a Constitutional Court responsible for supervising the constitutionality of various laws, international treaties and agreements, monitoring the legality of presidential elections and referendum procedures, and publicizing their results; Establish a special court to hear cases of treason committed by the President and criminal acts committed by members of parliament and the government in the performance of their duties. Supreme Court President Placide Lenga; Auguste ILOKI, President of the Constitutional Court; Attorney General Georges Akiera.

After independence, the Congolese Labor Party ruled as a single party for over 20 years. In 1990, a multi-party system was implemented, and currently there are over 180 political parties. The multi-party ruling coalition led by the ruling party, the Congolese Labour Party, known as the Presidential Majority Alliance, holds a dominant position in the Congolese political arena. On August 21, 2006, President Sassou signed and promulgated the Political Parties Law, which had been passed by the Congolese National Assembly and Senate. The Political Parties Law stipulates that all political parties and organizations must reflect ethnic diversity and have branches in each provincial capital to demonstrate regional representation; The establishment of political parties is monitored by the state; In terms of finances, political parties can enjoy state funding; Political party activities are protected by law, but they are not allowed to use religion for politically motivated propaganda. The main political parties are as follows:

(1) The Congolese Labour Party (PCT), also known as the "Congolese Labour Party". Established on December 31, 1969, it currently has approximately 800000 party members and is the ruling party. The founder was the late President Ngowabi. From 1969 to 1992, it was the only legal political party. In the first multi-party elections in 1992, he lost and became the opposition party. After the end of the civil war in October 1997, it became the ruling party again. In December 1990, the "Special Fourth National Congress" was held to revise the party program and constitution, abandoning Marxism Leninism and scientific socialism as the political guidance of the party, and transforming the "vanguard" into a mass party. In July 2002, the original party emblem pattern of "sickle, axe, and palm leaves" was abandoned and replaced with the "elephant" logo. The Fourth and Fifth Special Meetings of the Central Committee were held in November 2004 and December 2005 to discuss the revision of the Party Program, Party Constitution, and the reorganization and renaming of the Party. However, there were significant differences within the Party and no consensus was reached on this matter. In August 2006, conservatives disregarded reformists and convened the "Big Five" without authorization, almost causing the party to fall into a state of division. In December, the "Special Fifth National Congress" was held, and it was decided to shelve the controversy over renaming and restructuring, thus maintaining the unity within the party. In March 2011, Isidore MVOUBA, Acting General Secretary of the Congolese Labour Party, presided over the second special meeting of the fifth Central Committee of the Congolese Labour Party. The meeting decided to hold a special party congress from July 3-7, 2011, with the theme of "Revitalizing the Congolese Workers' Party with an open attitude in an atmosphere of peace, stability, and unity, and contributing to the modernization of the country". In July, the sixth special congress was held, electing President Sassou as the Chairman of the Central Committee and Pierre NGOLO as the General Secretary. In December 2019, the Congolese Labour Party held its fifth national congress, which identified President Sassou as the candidate for the next presidential election, Pierre MOUSSA as the General Secretary, the Politburo increased from 41 to 75 members, the Executive Secretariat increased from 12 to 15 members, and the Central Committee increased from 412 to 750 members. Received 112 seats in the 2022 legislative elections.

(2) Union Panafricaine pour la D é mocratie Sociale, UPADS）： Abbreviated as the Pan African Union. The ruling party of the former regime, now the largest opposition party. Established in January 1991 and obtained legal status in June. There are about 120000 party members, with their influence mainly in the southern provinces of Niari, Rekumu, and Buangza. The founder and chairman is former President Lissouba. In October 1997, Lisuba went into exile abroad after the failure of the civil war. In December, a meeting was held and former member of the Executive Board and former Minister of State, Martin Mberg, was elected as Acting First Secretary and formed an interim Executive Board. In January 1998, participated in the National Forum on Reconciliation, Unity, Democracy, and Reconstruction. In August 2000, a special meeting of the National Committee was held to elect Mberi as General Secretary and Acting Chairman. In December 2001, Mberi resigned and formed a new party due to internal conflicts. In September 2004, Lissouba appointed Ongakou DATCHOU as the chairman and Paul Makita as the party's general secretary. He announced that party members were not allowed to enter state institutions and expelled members of parliament from the party. In December 2006, the First National Congress was held and Pascal MABIALA was elected as the General Secretary. In 2007, he participated in the legislative elections and won 11 seats, becoming the second largest party in parliament. However, he publicly stated that he had no intention of joining the cabinet while the party leader was still in exile abroad. There are significant differences between the "White Faction" represented by Mabila and the "Yellow Faction" represented by former General Secretary Christophe MOUKUEKE, and the party is deeply divided. In December 2010, the Pan African Social Democratic Union held a meeting and elected Mabiara as the General Secretary. Won 7 seats in the 2022 legislative elections.

(3) The Democratic and Social Progressive Alliance (Rassemblement pour la D é mocratie et le Progr è s Social), RDPS）： Abbreviated as' Democratic Progressive Alliance '. Established on October 19, 1990, it had 100000 party members and its influence was mainly concentrated in the southern cities of Blackhorn and Quelu Province. The founder is former Speaker Jean Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA. Self proclaimed left-wing political party. The goal of the party is to establish a society that opposes authoritarianism, despotism, and one party rule, and opposes the state becoming a machine for a few people to become wealthy. After the end of the civil war, the party clearly supported the new government of Sasu and participated in post-war reconstruction. Current Chairman Mabio MAVOUNGOU-ZINGA and General Secretary Michel KONKO.

[Important Person] Denis Sassou Ngosso: President of the Republic, Head of State, and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Born in Owando, North Congo Basin Province in 1943, Mbo Greek. He studied at military academies in Algeria and France in his early years. In 1961, he joined the army and later held various positions including company commander, battalion commander, commander of the Brazzaville Military Region, army commander, and director of the National Security Bureau. In August 1963, he participated in the "August Revolution" that overthrew the Yulu regime. In 1968, he participated in the July 31st Movement and later served as a member of the National Revolutionary Committee. One of the founders of the Gang Labor Party. Elected as a member of the Central Committee at the founding conference of the Workers' Party in 1969, he later served as a member of the Political Bureau and Executive Secretary of the Permanent Military Commission. At the end of 1975, he was appointed as a member of the "Special Staff Department" and also served as a ministerial level representative responsible for national defense and security work. In March 1977, he was appointed as the First Vice Chairman of the Revolutionary Military Commission, responsible for party affairs and national defense. In March 1979, he was elected as the Chairman of the Party Central Committee and appointed as the Head of State and Chairman of the Council of Ministers. He became president in August of the same year. He was re elected in 1984 and 1989. Promoted to General in 1989. In August 1992, he stepped down after losing the presidential election. He resumed his presidency in October 1997. On March 10, 2002, he won the first post-war multi-party election and was elected president. Elected and re elected in July 2009, March 2016, and March 2021.

Oil and timber exports are the two main pillars of the economy. In the early 1980s, due to large-scale oil extraction, the economy developed rapidly, and the per capita GDP reached $1200, entering the ranks of middle-income countries in Africa. After 1985, the economy experienced consecutive years of decline and fell into serious difficulties due to factors such as the decline in international oil prices, the wave of multi-party democratization, and the devaluation of the African currency. The civil war in 1997 paralyzed the economy of Congo. Since the second half of 1999, international oil prices have risen significantly, oil revenue has increased, and the economic situation has gradually improved. The government has made efforts to rectify the economic order, expand opening up to the outside world, improve the investment environment, punish corruption, significantly improve fiscal revenue, and achieve sustained recovery growth in the economy. In 2009, the "Future Path" development strategy was formulated, proposing to achieve the goals of national modernization and industrialization. In recent years, we have actively promoted economic diversification, mainly developing agriculture, mining, processing industries, and actively establishing special economic zones. Since the second half of 2014, due to the significant drop in international oil prices, Congo's fiscal revenue has decreased significantly, and the scale of external debt has expanded. In 2015, the economic growth rate dropped to 1.7%. In early 2016, the "Towards Development Strategy" was formulated, proposing measures including supporting the establishment of agricultural enterprises, promoting input of production factors, and deep processing of natural resources, in order to achieve economic diversification, reduce poverty, and create employment opportunities. In 2017, a serious debt problem was exposed, with the International Monetary Fund stating that the debt to GDP ratio was as high as 110%. In 2020, due to the impact of the COVID-19 and the sharp drop in oil prices, the economy of Congo will be impacted again.

The estimated main economic indicators for 2023 are as follows:

Gross Domestic Product: 14.4 billion US dollars.

Per capita Gross Domestic Product: 2350 US dollars.

Economic growth rate: 4%.

Currency name: Financial Cooperation Franc between China and Africa (FCFA), abbreviated as "African Franc".

Inflation rate: 4.5%.

(Source: International Monetary Fund website)

Oil and natural gas resources are abundant. Large scale offshore mining began in the early 1970s, while inland oil fields were still in the exploration stage. In recent years, the annual production has been between 90 million and 100 million barrels, making it one of the major oil producing countries in sub Saharan Africa. The output value of oil accounts for about 61.2% of the country's gross domestic product, and oil exports account for about 78% of the total export revenue (2016). The reserves of potassium salt ore are approximately 6 billion tons, phosphate ore is 6 million tons, and iron ore is approximately 25 billion tons. In addition, there are metal ores such as aluminum, zinc, and copper.

Agriculture, animal husbandry, and fisheries are lagging behind, with agricultural output accounting for approximately 9.1% of the gross domestic product in 2022. Grain, meat, vegetables, etc. cannot be self-sufficient, and more than 90% rely on imports. The arable land area is 10 million hectares, and the cultivated area is about 200000 hectares, mainly concentrated in the south. The rural population is about 1.6 million. Agricultural production is mainly based on individual production, with individual farmers cultivating 68% of the cultivated area, state-owned and foreign-funded joint venture farms accounting for 28%, and private farms accounting for 2.45%. The main food crops include cassava, corn, rice, potatoes, peanuts, bananas, etc. The economic crops include sugarcane, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, tobacco, etc. The livestock products include cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, etc.

Fisheries include offshore, freshwater fishing, and aquaculture.

Forestry is rich in forest resources, covering an area of 22 million hectares, accounting for approximately 65% of the country's total area. More than 300 types of timber can be extracted, with over 40 main export varieties including ironwood and prickly fruit. Forestry is the second largest source of government revenue after oil, contributing approximately 5% to the gross domestic product. In 2014, timber trade accounted for approximately 3.6% of total exports. In 2015, the export of timber was 933700 cubic meters, mainly consisting of raw wood and undried sawn timber.

After independence, more than 200 industrial enterprises were established, but due to poor management and war damage, the original production-oriented projects have basically disappeared. Most production-oriented enterprises are wholly foreign-owned or controlled. The industrial output value will account for about 50% of the gross domestic product in 2022. The total installed power generation capacity in China is 361 MW, mainly consisting of hydroelectric and natural gas power generation.

In 2022, the output value of the service industry accounted for 40.8% of the gross domestic product. Most of the commercial activities are controlled by the Congolese Quelu Niari Trading Company, the Congolese West African Trading Company, and the Sanga Ubangi Trading Company, which are mainly funded by French companies. The retail industry is mainly operated by Malian and Lebanese people, while small-scale commercial services are controlled by West African merchants (mainly Senegalese and Malian). In recent years, the number of Chinese businessmen has increased, mostly engaged in small commodities such as daily necessities.

Railway: The Ocean Railway is the only railway in the country and one of the earliest railways in Africa. It was built by French colonizers in 1934. The total length is 886 kilometers, of which the main trunk line is 512 kilometers long, connecting the capital Brazzaville and the port city of Pointe Noire, serving as the lifeline of transportation between the east and west of Congo. The designed annual freight volume is 3 million tons. Due to long-term disrepair, the current annual freight volume is only 700000 tons, with a passenger volume of 800000 people.

Highway: with a total length of 20000 kilometers, including 1200 kilometers of asphalt roads. There are mainly two main routes: Highway 1 runs west from Brazzaville to Pointe Noire, parallel to the Great Ocean Railway, with a length of 570 kilometers; Highway 2 runs north from Brazzaville through Owando to Veso, with a length of 856 kilometers. In 2016, except for the northernmost province of Likouala, all other provincial capitals were connected to the capital Brazzaville via the asphalt road.

Water transportation: The total length of inland waterway routes is about 5000 kilometers. Blackhorn Port is one of the three major seaports on the west coast of Africa, with a maximum water level of 16 meters and the ability to accommodate large ships measuring 230 meters in length and 34 feet in draft. The annual throughput is around 19.5 million tons, with 2 container terminals and 2 large timber loading and unloading terminals. The transportation volume accounts for 90% of the total national air transportation volume.

Air freight: There are 23 airports in the country, including international airports in Brazzaville and Pointe Noire. Congo Airlines has three Boeing 737-300, three Boeing 737-200, one E-120 aircraft, three Chinese made "Xinzhou 60" aircraft, and two Y-12 aircraft, mainly engaged in domestic shipping.

The national fiscal revenue budget for 2023 is 2885.148 billion francs (approximately 5.304 billion US dollars), and the fiscal expenditure budget is 2105.7 billion francs (approximately 3.871 billion US dollars).

Before the civil war in 1997, the main banks in Congo included the Bank of Central African States Congo Branch, the Development Bank of Central African States (BDEAC), the Development Bank of Congo (BNDC), the Commercial Bank of Congo (BCC), the Union of Congolese Banks (UCB), the International Bank of Congo (BIDC), and the Congo Agricultural and Industrial Credit Bank (CAIC). Commercial banks are jointly operated with foreign capital, especially French capital, with the state holding 50% of the shares. In 2000, it was decided to privatize the banking industry and liquidate the Congo National Development Bank and the Congo Commercial Bank. In 2001, the Congo Banking Union was acquired by COFIPA, a European African investment financial institution headquartered in Cote d'Ivoire. In 2002, Credit Lyonnais Group of France acquired Congo International Bank. In 2004, a private Moroccan bank acquired a controlling stake in the Congo Agricultural and Industrial Credit Bank and renamed it the Bank of Congo. In 2005, the Bank of Central African States rated the overall credit rating of just four banks as moderately fragile in terms of funding, with two being good, one moderately fragile, and one extremely poor. At present, in addition to the Central African Bank's branch in Congo acting as the central bank, there are also Congo Bank, Congo Commercial Credit Bank, Congo Debt Bank, and Central African Development Bank in the Congo banking system. In July 2015, the China Congo Africa Bank, a joint venture between Agricultural Bank of China and Congo, opened its first branch in Black Point in May 2017.

In recent years, the foreign trade situation is as follows (in millions of US dollars):