- Issuing authority
- Ministry of Economy / Foreign Trade of the UAE
- Jurisdiction
- United Arab Emirates
- Publication date
- October 30, 2026
- Effective date
- October 30, 2026
- Stage
- Final rule
- Official document
- UAE-DRC Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)
- Official source
- www.wam.ae
The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the United Arab Emirates and the Democratic Republic of Congo officially came into force on October 30, 2026, according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
The bilateral pact removes customs tariffs on the vast majority of goods, standardises customs clearance processes, and lowers non-tariff barriers to trade between the two nations.
UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi stated that the framework establishes a trade gateway for UAE businesses and investors into Central and Eastern Africa. The treaty is structured to accelerate investment flows into key sectors such as logistics, energy, and advanced manufacturing.
According to the report, the agreement builds upon non-oil bilateral trade that reached US$3.5 billion in 2025, which marked a 38.5% year-on-year increase.
Sources
- Emirates News Agency (WAM) · 2026-10-30
