Formal External Trade in Goods
© NISR
12
3.2.2
East African Community Partner States
In this quarter, imports from Tanzania accounted for 38.34% of total imports from EAC partner states, while
imports from Kenya constituted 28.48%.
In general, the value of imports from the EAC Partner States decreased by 8.06% compared to the same
quarter in 2025 (US$ 358.28 million in the first quarter of 2025).
Figure 5: Imports from EAC Partner States, 2022Q1-2026Q1
Source: NISR with raw data from RRA/Customs Department
00.00
150.00
300.00
50.00
200.00
350.00
100.00
250.00
400.00
Burundi
DRC
kenya
South Sudan
Tanzania
Somalia
Uganda
EAC
10.43
0.14
96.55
158.66
273.87
157.33
149.01
318.50
151.85
176.78
354.05
100.61
141.00
289.52
4.30
122.35
207.57
380.91
5.83
188.08
350.99
45.43
127.00
219.86
419.99
58.19
227.42
381.36
0.82
0.87
0.45
0.24
0.08
8.03
0.05
8.30
0.13
0.11
0.13
13.93
11.49
0.37
0.09
8.04
0.00
0.98
0.01
0.00
0.08
0.14
0.00
11.88
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.30
170.99
99.54
70.63
71.12
71.12
344.87
158.17
471.62
245.08
215.20
60.24
20.61
0.18
0.60
267.62
253.72
63.43
63.43
63.43
306.62 655.16
0.62
151.30
135.34
358.28
0.62
1.8618.81
78.17
0.00
133.49
59.14
298.85
0.9117.18
102.23
0.01
156.85
66.50
344.68
0.8518.13
86.49
0.00
146.11
339.74
0.06
65.89
31.56
93.80
126.29
77.67
329.41
0.00
0.00
361.32
567.09
110.96
Q1
Q1
Q1
Q1
Q2
Q2
Q2
Q2
Q3
Q3
Q3
Q3
Q4
Q4
Q4
Q4
Q1
2022
2024
2023
2025
2026
10.85
26.50
11.86
Formal External Trade in Goods © NISR 13 4.1 Overview In the first quarter of 2026, Rwanda’s re-exports value was estimated at US$ 193.84 million. This represents an increase of 43.18% compared to the same quarter in 2025 (US$ 135.39 million). The top three products re-exported by Rwanda in the first quarter of 2026, were “Food and live animals” estimated at US$ 67.23 million , “Mineral fuels, lubricants, and related materials” which amounted to US$ 61.79 million and “Beverages and tobacco” estimated at US$ 19.47 million. Collectively, these three categories accounted for approximately 76.6% of the total value of Rwanda’s re-exports. 4.1.1. Trade Partners In the first quarter of 2026, out of the US$ 193.84 million of the re-exports value of Rwanda, African countries accounted for 97.66% of share. The Democratic Republic of Congo was the main destination, with re-export values of US$ 160.04 million representing 82.56% of the total re-exports. Figure 6 illustrates the quarterly values for the top five destinations of Rwanda’s re-exports and the rest of the world. Figure 6: Rwanda’s key re-export partners, 2022Q1-2026Q1 Source: NISR with raw data from RRA/Customs Department 4. Re-exports 20.00 40.00 60.00 80.00 100.00 120.00 140.00 160.00 180.00 200.00 3.51 144.07 154.02 15.65 178.46 40.77 144.13 4.24 145.46 4.98 143.21 3.69 157.97 3.46 149.96 3.66 160.12 3.09 155.74 3.16 174.59 4.64 166.32 3.14 127.14 2.60 134.65 4.34 165.75 51.82 5.06 161.50 160.04 5.15 US $ Million 2022Q1 2024Q1 2022Q3 2024Q3 2022Q2 2024Q2 2022Q4 2024Q4 2023Q1 2025Q1 2023Q2 2025Q2 2023Q3 2025Q3 2023Q4 2025Q4 2026Q1 Rest of the world The Democratic Republic of Congo
Formal External Trade in Goods © NISR 14 4.1.2 East African Community Partner States Figure 7: Re-Exports to EAC Partner States, 2022Q1-2025Q2 Source: NISR with raw data from RRA/Customs Department Rwanda’s re-exports to EAC Partner States increased by 43.81 percent in value terms during the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same quarter of 2025 (US$ 185.67 million and 129.10 US$ million, respectively) and by 6.12 percent when compared to the fourth quarter of 2025 that was estimated at US$ 197.77 million. Burundi kenya Somalia Tanzania Uganda EAC South Sudan DRC Q1 Q1 Q1 Q1 Q2 Q2 Q2 Q2 Q3 Q3 Q3 Q3 Q4 Q4 Q4 Q1 Q4 2022 2024 2023 2025 2026 0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00 0.40 0.28 0.11 0.08 0.12 0.02 0.05 0.29 0.03 0.06 0.09 0.03 0.06 0.12 1.78 1.07 1.16
Formal External Trade in Goods © NISR 15 5. Trade with Selected Regional Economic Organizations 5.1 Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa In the first quarter of 2026, Rwanda’s total trade with member states of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) reached US$ 529.41 million compared to US$ 438.59 million registered in the same quarter of 2025 and US$ 591.28 million registered in the fourth quarter of 2025. Exports to COMESA member states increased by 46.72% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same quarter in 2025 and saw a further decrease of 9.4% relative to the fourth quarter of 2025. Imports from COMESA member states decreased by 0.58% in 2026 Q1 compared to the same quarter in 2025 and decreased by 14.65 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2025. Regarding re-exports, Rwanda generated revenue estimated at US$ 188.37 million from COMESA member states during the first quarter of 2026. This represents an increase of 42.75% compared to the same quarter in 2025, but a decrease of 5.51% over the preceding quarter of 2025. Thus, in the first quarter of 2026, a trade surplus of US$ 71.84 million was recorded in contrast to a deficit of US$ 21.65 million in the first quarter of 2025. However, there was a surplus of US$ 55.20 million in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Formal External Trade in Goods © NISR 16 During the first quarter of 2026, Rwanda’s total trade with member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) was valued at US$ 432.96 million. This represents a change from US$ 375.25 million recorded in the first quarter of 2025 and US$ 533.91 million in the fourth quarter of 2025. On a year-on-year basis, domestic exports to SADC increased by 53.88%, rising from US$ 57.60 million in the first quarter of 2025 to US$ 88.63 million in the first quarter of 2026. Over the same period, imports from SADC decreased by 3.22%, from US$ 189.71 million to US$ 183.60 million. Conversely, re-exports increased by 25.63%, rising from US$ 127.94 million to US$ 160.73 million. Therefore, Rwanda’s trade in goods balance with SADC registered a surplus of US$ 65.77 million compared with a deficit of US$ 4.18 million recorded during the same quarter of 2025. 5.2 Communauté Economique des Pays de Grands Lacs
5.3 Southern African Development Community In the first quarter of 2026, total exports to Communauté Economique des Pays de Grands Lacs (CEPGL) Member States (Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo), including re-exports, totalized US$ 253.84 million and imports were US$ 31.63 million. Therefore, the trade in goods surplus with CEPGL Member States was US$ 222.21 million compared to a US$ 173.73 million surplus registered in the same quarter of 2025 and to US$ 252.17 million deficit in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Formal External Trade in Goods © NISR 17 5.4 European Union In the first quarter of 2026, the trade of Rwanda’s goods with the European Union (EU) stood at US$ 119.60 million. This compares to US$ 122.55 million registered in the same quarter of 2025 and US$ 162.59 million in the fourth quarter of 2025 (United Kingdom exited EU on 31st January 2020). Consequently, Rwanda’s trade with EU reflected a deficit of US$ 63.37 million in the first quarter of 2026 and of US$ 64.83 million in the same quarter of 2025 while US$ 72.46 million has been registered as a deficit in the fourth quarter of 2025. 5.5 Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) In the first quarter of 2026, Rwanda’s total exports to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), including re-exports, totalized US$ 1.33 million. Imports from ECOWAS member states during the same period were valued at US$ 12.95 million. Therefore, the trade in goods deficit with ECOWAS Member States increased to US$ 11.61 million from a deficit of US$ 4 million in the same quarter of 2025.
Formal External Trade in Goods © NISR 18 6. Appendices Appendix 6.1.a Summary of External Merchandise Trade, 2022Q1-2026Q1 (Value: US$ Million) Flow 2022Q1 2022Q2 2022Q3 2022Q4 2023Q1 2023Q2 2023Q3 2023Q4 2024Q1 2024Q2 2024Q3 2024Q4 2025Q1 2025Q2 2025Q3 2025Q4 2026Q1 Exports of goods 444.23 493.29 543.72 545.26 558.40 639.26 561.11 558.66 604.78 701.64 851.56 854.73 616.21 488.45 563.65 599.15 560.70 Domestic exports 293.58 331.55 342.56 354.84 402.14 484.74 388.11 399.11 431.61 537.64 667.00 677.45 480.82 346.04 389.99 375.43 366.85 Imports of goods 1,034.54 1,348.03 1,481.22 1,281.21 1,476.51 1,571.09 1,581.81 1,486.93 1,410.52 1,568.97 1,751.57 1,629.39 1,379.05 1,247.39 1,368.93 1,543.21 1,332.21 Re-exports 150.66 161.74 201.15 190.42 156.25 154.52 173.00 159.55 173.17 164.00 184.56 177.29 135.39 142.41 173.65 223.72 193.84 A. Total Exports (f.o.b.) 444.23 493.29 543.72 545.26 558.40 639.26 561.11 558.66 604.78 701.64 851.56 854.73 616.21 488.45 563.65 599.15 560.70 B. Total Imports (c.i.f.) 1,034.54 1,348.03 1,481.22 1,281.21 1,476.51 1,571.09 1,581.81 1,486.93 1410.52 1568.97 1751.57 1629.39 1379.05 1247.39 1368.93 1543.21 1332.21 Total Value of Trade (A+B) 1,478.77 1,841.32 2,024.94 1,826.47 2,034.91 2,210.36 2,142.92 2,045.60 2,015.30 2,270.61 2,603.13 2,484.12 1,995.26 1,735.84 1,932.58 2,142.36 1,892.91 Balance of Trade (A-B) 590.31 854.73 937.51 735.94 918.11 931.83 1,020.70 928.27 805.74 867.33 900.01 774.66 762.84 758.94 805.28 944.05 771.52 Source: NISR with raw data from RRA/Customs Appendix 6.1.b Summary of External Merchandise Trade, 2022Q1-2026Q1 (Shares) Flow 2022Q1 2022Q2 2022Q3 2022Q4 2023Q1 2023Q2 2023Q3 2023Q4 2024Q1 2024Q2 2024Q3 2024Q4 2025Q1 2025Q2 2025Q3 2025Q4 2026Q1 Exports of goods 30.04 26.79 26.85 29.85 27.44 28.92 26.18 27.31 30.01 30.90 32.71 34.41 30.88 28.14 29.17 27.97 29.62 Domestic exports 19.85 18.01 16.92 19.43 19.76 21.93 18.11 19.51 21.42 23.68 25.62 27.27 24.10 19.94 20.18 17.52 19.38 Imports of goods 69.96 73.21 73.15 70.15 72.56 71.08 73.82 72.69 69.99 69.10 67.29 65.59 69.12 71.86 70.83 72.03 70.38 Re-exports 10.19 8.78 9.93 10.43 7.68 6.99 8.07 7.80 8.59 7.22 7.09 7.14 6.79 8.20 8.99 10.44 10.24 Total Value of Trade (A+B) 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 Source: NISR with raw data from RRA/Customs