Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a member of Southern African Development Community (SADC) and shares borders with five of the six members of the East African Community (EAC). It could potentially become the largest member by area as well as by population and therefore a lucrative market for EAC.

DRC recently requested membership to EAC which would enable dropping of custom barriers and increasing trade between EAC countries. Ministers in charge of EAC Affairs gave a green light report on DRC verification mission for consideration by the EAC Heads of State.

Export diversification reflects the degree to which a country’s exports are spread across a large number of products and/or trading partners. Diversification is achieved through increasingly changing the basket of commodities being exported, or improving the existing exports by adding value, or enhancing them through technology and innovation.