DRC Import and Export Agency Full Process Operation Guide

DRC Import and Export Agency: Analysis of Core Certifications for Destination Port Customs Clearance

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is an important economy in Africa,with import demand concentrated in mechanical and electrical equipment,chemical raw materials,hardware and building materials,and other fields.However,local customs have extremely high compliance requirements for imported goods; goods that have not completed certification may face port detention for up to 1-2 months.Taking a machinery company represented by Zhongshitong as an example,excavators exported to the DRC in 2025 were detained at Matadi Port for 3 weeks due to failure to complete COC certification (Conformity Certification) in advance,resulting in over $120,000 in demurrage and storage fees combined.

To complete destination port customs clearance,three types of documents require close attention: Certificate of Origin (CO) must be certified by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade; packing list and commercial invoice must be countersigned by the China Chamber of Commerce; Conformity Certificate (COC) must be reviewed by SGS or a local recognized third-party institution.Special note: DRC customs launched a new "Electronic Customs Clearance System" in 2026,requiring all cargo declarations to upload subdivision parameters of more than 6 digits of HS code,otherwise they will be directly rejected.

• Common certification pitfalls: Never use a proforma invoice to replace a commercial invoice; a chemical enterprise was fined $45,000 in 2025 due to this issue.
• Emergency handling solution: If the goods have arrived at the port but certification is missing,temporary release can be applied for (a deposit of 30% of the cargo value is required); Zhongshitong can coordinate with local customs brokers to reduce the release time to within 48 hours.

Anti-Dumping Warnings and Tariff Policy Updates

Anti-dumping investigations by the DRC against Chinese export products have been on the rise in recent years,mainly involving carbon steel,aluminum products,plastic pellets,and other categories.According to Announcement No.3 of the DRC Customs General Administration in 2026,the anti-dumping duty rate for seamless carbon steel pipes imported from China will be increased to 28% (previously 15%) from January 2026,and an additional Certificate of Origin from the exporting country will be required.

Enterprises can avoid anti-dumping risks through three channels: First,apply for market economy status recognition; Zhongshitong helped an aluminum profile enterprise successfully obtain this recognition in 2025 by providing materials such as export data and financial statements of the past 3 years,reducing the tariff from 22% to 7%; Second,choose third-country transshipment (such as Rwanda,Zambia),but attention must be paid to the qualification review of the transshipment provider; Third,optimize the product structure,replacing high-risk categories (such as carbon steel) with stainless steel products with low tariff rates.

Export Tax Refund Optimization and Declaration Element Standards

Export tax refunds are an important revenue link for Chinese enterprises exporting to the DRC,but foreign exchange controls in the DRC have extended some refund cycles to 6-9 months.Zhongshitong helps enterprises avoid risks through the "Three-Phase Control Method": Pre-declaration verification (ensuring VAT invoices are consistent with customs declarations),In-declaration optimization (selecting Shanghai Port as the transit port,which can shorten the refund cycle to 3 months),Post-declaration tracking (special personnel follow up on tax bureau feedback; in 2025,helped 17 enterprises recover over 20 million yuan in delayed tax refunds).

Consistency of declaration elements is critical for tax refunds.A hardware enterprise’s tax refund was rejected because the "material" column on the customs declaration was filled with "carbon steel" while the VAT invoice marked "alloy".Zhongshitong assisted the enterprise in supplementing materials such as Certificate of Origin and material test reports,completing the correction after 2 months.Special note: Starting from 2026,in reverse agency businesses from the DRC to China,if declaration elements do not match the actual goods,it will trigger customs inspection (inspection rate increased by 40% year-on-year).

• Accurate Classification of HS Codes: For mechanical products,it is necessary to clarify "whether it has power"; for example,the code and tariff difference between a forklift with an engine and one without can reach 15%.
• Declaration Time Limit Control: Customs declarations must be submitted within 72 hours after the goods depart,otherwise it will affect the tax refund progress.

Payment Collection Security and Foreign Exchange Risk Prevention and Control

The DRC implements strict foreign exchange controls; the difference between black market exchange rate and official exchange rate reached 35% in 2026 (official: USD1=8500 FC,black market: USD1=12500 FC).Enterprises often suffer financial losses due to not collecting payments through formal channels.A building materials enterprise represented by Zhongshitong had its account frozen by the DRC central bank and was fined 15% of the cargo value for using underground banks to collect payments.

Compliant payment collection must follow the "Three Noes Principles": Do not accept third-party payment on behalf,do not split large remittances (remittances exceeding USD100,000 per transaction must be declared),do not use personal accounts to receive payments.In practice,it is recommended to use a combination of "Letter of Credit + T/T": 30% advance payment before the goods arrive at the port,and the remaining balance will be telegraphically transferred after seeing the copy of the bill of lading.Zhongshitong,through cooperation with Bank of China Shanghai Branch,can achieve "same-day collection and same-day settlement",helping clients reduce exchange losses by over $3 million in 2025.