Economy and Trade :
The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on oil, support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports. Rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings through oil-backed loans that have contributed to a growing debt burden and chronic revenue shortfalls.

The current administration presides over an uneasy internal peace and faces difficult economic challenges of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty. Recovery of oil prices has boosted the economy's GDP and near-term prospects. The Republic of Congo may be eligible for an IMF-World Bank heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative in early 2006, provided it meets the strict fiscal and monetary targets set out for it under a new three-year Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) with the IMF.

The government's most urgent economic policy priority is to implement the conditions agreed with the IMF including improved fiscal management, good governance and transparency in the oil sector. Congo is rich in oil. The peace agreement signed and the improved security in the Pool region would definitely accelerate the pace of recovery. During the year 2003 ROC exports amounted to US$ 2293 million while imports were of US$ 666.9 million. Exports comprised of petroleum, timber, sugar and other goods and imports were of non-oil products from France, Italy,

Commercial & Economic Relations: The total trade between India and ROC is given below. Main items of India's imports from Republic of Congo are oil seeds and olea, ores, slag and ash, wood and articles of wood, natural or cultured pearls, stones and imitation jewellery.

Period Figures in US $ Million

Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF)
The natural resources are: Petrol, Wood, Potassium, Zinc, Copper, Uranium, Phosphate and Natural Gas.

Agricultural Products are: Cassava (tapioca), Sugar, Rice, Corn, Peanuts, Vegetables, Coffee, Cocoa and other forest products.


The major Export products are : Petroleum, Lumber, Plywood, Sugar, Cocoa, Coffee and Diamonds.
Exporting partners of the Republic of Congo are: China 38.9%, US 29%, Taiwan 11.8%, South Korea 7.2% (2005).


The major Import products are : Capital equipment, Construction materials and food material.


Importing partners of the republic of Congo are : France 25.6%, China 11.3%, US 8.1%, India 8%, Italy 7.5%, Belgium 5.1%, Netherlands 4.2% (2005).