THE Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) has urged companies going for a trade mission to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to market the country's products to earn more export earnings.

ZDA director trade and export promotion Glyne Michelo said in Lusaka yesterday that the DRC production industry was in a dormant state and needed more products.

Mr Michelo said this when he addressed more than 30 company representatives among others Zambia Sugar, Lafarge and Finance Bank who would undertake a three-day trade mission to DRC.

The mission, to be held from October 28 to 30, 2009, would give an opportunity for Zambian companies to hold private meetings with Congolese business fraternity with a view of striking business deals and finding trading partners in DRC.

Mr Michelo said DRC provided the largest consumer market for the Zambian goods with minimal transportation cost compared to other countries in the region.

"The DRC has a population of over 55 million people but commercial agriculture is largely non-existent.

This means that most basic food requirements and industrial products are imported. DRC market therefore, presents Zambia with huge market opportunities," Mr Michelo said.

He said DRC also provided an opportunity for Zambia to diversify from the copper industry, especially for the Copperbelt Province and other peripheral areas.

He said there was need for assertive action to conclude the proposed bilateral trade agreement with DRC so as to enable the Zambian products enter Congolese market duty and quota free.

"Though DRC is a member of both COMESA and SADC, it is currently not implementing its COMESA obligations and has not yet acceded to the SADC state protocol.

"The current trade between our two countries is under the most favoured nation treatment with applied tariffs rendering Zambian products less price competitive in the market in view of the subsidies being offered to some exporter in competing neighbouring countries," Mr Michelo said.