Factors influencing trade in the DRC

As foreign trade is one of the main drivers on which developing countries rely for sustainable economic growth, it is important to bring to the world's attention the debates surrounding the issue of trade in goods and services between residents and non-residents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Various theories have demonstrated the effectiveness of trade, as it enables a more efficient use of resources and allows each country to acquire goods and services that it does not produce itself. Free-trade theorists argue that it is in everyone's interest to open their borders, whilst proponents of protectionism highlight the limitations of international trade. However, trade constitutes a significant aspect of strategies aimed at improving the trade balance and fostering greater growth from which the whole country should benefit; this is not the case in the Democratic Republic of the Congo due to a series of political and economic developments. Our study sought to revisit this issue and put forward suggestions that could improve the level of trade, and thereby the trade balance, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.