The TFAF organized a mission to support Congolese authorities to identify technical assistance needs and partners for the implementation of the TFA. As part of the meeting, the Ministry of Commerce, Supply and Consumption invited various stakeholders from the private and public sector to take stock of the implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) and to discuss domestic coordination. 22 participants from both the public and private sectors gathered for the meeting in Brazzaville, Congo, on 10 and 11 December 2024. Following the meeting, the TFAF also met with representatives of partners to discuss available TACB programme.

Congo ratified the TFA in October 2017 and notified 13 measures in Category C with a definitive implementation date of the last trimester of 2025. Since 2019, the Congolese authorities have already taken measures to advance the implementation of the TFA.  Therefore, at this moment, capacity gaps only remain for 7 out of the 13 measures initially notified: Article 1.2 (Information Available Through the Internet), Article 2.2 (Consultations), Article 6.2 (Disciplines on Fees and Charges), Article 7.4 (Risk Management), Article 7.6 (Average Release Times), Article 7.8 (Expedited Shipments) and Article 8 (Border Agency Cooperation).

Participants also discussed different ways to operationalize Article 23.2 regarding the National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NTFC). Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal presented,online and in person, their respective experiences with the functioning of their national committees. The participants agreed to set up a working group under the leadership of the Ministry of Trade to consider specific actions aimed at creating an NTFC in the Congo.

The TFAF remains committed to supporting the Congo in mobilizing the necessary technical assistance from donors and partners to implement the Category C measures.