Formal External Trade in Goods April, 2026 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STATISTICS OF RWANDA Published in May, 2026
Copyright © 2026 National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR). Licensed under CC BY 4.0 This Report is produced by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR). Additional information about the Formal External Trade in Goods P .O Box : 6139 Kigali, Rwanda Tel: +250 788 383103 Hotline: 4321 Recommended citation: National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), (2026), monthly Formal Extenal Trade in Goods. Email: [email protected] Formal External Trade in Goods © NISR 2 Balance of Trade The deficit in the balance of formal trade in goods was US$ 291.88 million in April 2026; an increase of 27.77 percent compared to the previous month of March 2026. Year-to-year, the formal trade in goods deficit increased by 25.74 percent on the deficit of April 2025. Table 1. Summary of Formal External Trade in Goods FLOW Value: US $ Million Shares in percentage Percentage Increase/Decrease 2025 2026 2025 2026 Apr2026/ Mar2026 Apr2026/Apr2025 Apr(R) Mar¹ Apr¹ Apr(R) Mar¹ Apr¹ A. Total Exports (f.o.b) 148.51 226.29 224.70 28.07 33.23 30.31 -0.71% 51.30% Domestic exports 105.42 151.84 165.86 19.92 22.30 22.37 9.23% 57.33% Re-exports 43.10 74.45 58.84 8.14 10.93 7.94 -20.97% 36.53% B. Total Imports (c.i.f) 380.65 454.73 516.57 71.93 66.77 69.69 13.60% 35.71% Total External Trade (A+B) 529.16 681.02 741.27 100.00 100.00 100.00 8.85% 40.08% Trade Balance (A-B) -232.13 -228.44 -291.88 27.77% 25.74% Note: I – Revised, 1Preliminary figures Monthly Statistics of External Trade in Goods of April 2026
Formal External Trade in Goods
© NISR
3
Exports
In April 2026 domestic exports value increased by 9.23 per cent compared to March 2026 and by 57.33
percent compared to April 2025. Table 2 shows the values of exported goods in April 2026 by SITC sections.
Table 2. Total Domestic Exports of Goods by S.I.T.C Sections in April 2026
SITC SECTION/DESCRIPTION
Value: US $ Million
Shares in percentage
Percentage Increase/Decrease
2025
2026
2025
2026
Apr2026/Mar2026
Apr2026/Apr2025
Apr(R)
Mar¹
Apr¹
Apr(R)
Mar¹
Apr¹
0 - Food and live animals
28.39
27.44
33.31
26.93
18.07
20.09
21.41%
17.35%
1 - Beverages and tobacco
0.76
1.00
1.08
0.72
0.66
0.65
7.71%
42.76%
2 - Crude materials, inedible,
except fuels
21.35
67.38
85.40
20.26
44.38
51.49
26.75%
299.93%
3 - Mineral fuels, lubricants and
related materials
0.25
0.17
0.30
0.24
0.11
0.18
75.87%
18.65%
4 - Animals and vegetable oils,
fats & waxes
7.29
13.20
10.90
6.91
8.69
6.57
-17.38%
49.67%
5 - Chemicals & related products,
n.e.s.
1.71
17.09
3.15
1.63
11.26
1.90
-81.55%
83.99%
6 - Manufactured goods
classified chiefly by material
12.00
15.92
15.17
11.38
10.49
9.15
-4.75%
26.40%
7 - Machinery and transport
equipment
1.96
0.78
0.82
1.86
0.52
0.50
4.84%
-57.93%
8 - Miscellaneous manufactured
articles
2.41
1.72
3.63
2.29
1.14
2.19
110.52%
50.52%
9 - Other commodities &
transactions, n.e.s
29.30
7.12
12.08
27.79
4.69
7.29
69.68%
-58.76%
Total Domestic Exports
105.42
151.84
165.86
100.00
100.00
100.00
9.23%
57.33%
Note: I – Revised,
1Preliminary figures
Formal External Trade in Goods © NISR 4 Imports In April 2026 imports value increased by 13.6 per cent compared to March 2026 and by 35.71 per cent compared to April 2025. Table 3 shows the value of imported goods in April 2026 by SITC sections. Table 3. Total Imports of Goods by S.I.T.C Sections in April 2026 SITC SECTION/DESCRIPTION Value: US $ Million Shares in percentage Percentage Increase/Decrease 2025 2026 2025 2026 Apr2026/Mar2026 Apr2026/Apr2025 Apr(R) Mar¹ Apr¹ Apr(R) Mar¹ Apr¹ 0 - Food and live animals 71.33 77.43 98.30 18.74 17.03 19.03 26.96% 37.82% 1 - Beverages and tobacco 8.55 13.03 12.36 2.25 2.87 2.39 -5.13% 44.58% 2 - Crude materials, inedible, except fuels 14.27 14.29 19.78 3.75 3.14 3.83 38.40% 38.64% 3 - Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials 52.08 61.97 57.00 13.68 13.63 11.03 -8.02% 9.44% 4 - Animals and vegetable oils, fats & waxes 26.59 20.25 29.45 6.99 4.45 5.70 45.42% 10.75% 5 - Chemicals & related products, n.e.s. 49.90 46.46 62.74 13.11 10.22 12.15 35.03% 25.74% 6 - Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material 54.29 77.61 90.22 14.26 17.07 17.46 16.25% 66.19% 7 - Machinery and transport equipment 73.87 109.45 100.78 19.41 24.07 19.51 -7.92% 36.43% 8 - Miscellaneous manufactured articles 27.79 27.65 32.78 7.30 6.08 6.35 18.54% 17.94% 9 - Other commodities & transactions, n.e.s 1.99 6.59 13.16 0.52 1.45 2.55 99.60% 561.23% Total Imports 380.65 454.73 516.57 100.00 100.00 100.00 13.60% 35.71% Note: I – Revised 1Preliminary figures
Formal External Trade in Goods © NISR 5 Re-exports In April 2026, re-export values have decreased by 20.97 percent compared to March 2026 and increased by 36.53 per cent compared to April 2025. Table 4. Total Re-exports of Goods by S.I.T.C Sections in April 2026 SITC SECTION/DESCRIPTION Value: US $ Million Shares in percentage Percentage Increase/ Decrease 2025 2026 2025 2026 Apr2026/ Mar2026 Apr2026/ Apr2025 Apr(R) Mar¹ Apr¹ Apr(R) Mar¹ Apr¹ 0 - Food and live animals 15.77 23.77 23.19 36.59 31.93 39.41 -2.46% 47.04% 1 - Beverages and tobacco 3.67 6.77 5.34 8.51 9.09 9.08 -21.03% 45.70% 2 - Crude materials, inedible, except fuels 0.96 1.10 0.93 2.22 1.48 1.58 -15.39% -2.67% 3 - Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials 8.60 28.82 13.58 19.95 38.71 23.07 -52.90% 57.92% 4 - Animals and vegetable oils, fats & waxes 1.78 0.65 1.41 4.13 0.87 2.40 117.61% -20.69% 5 - Chemicals & related products, n.e.s. 4.13 3.51 4.40 9.58 4.71 7.48 25.50% 6.57% 6 - Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material 4.03 4.45 4.73 9.36 5.98 8.04 6.32% 17.37% 7 - Machinery and transport equipment 2.68 3.23 3.45 6.22 4.33 5.87 7.03% 28.77% 8 - Miscellaneous manufactured articles 1.48 2.15 1.70 3.43 2.89 2.89 -20.85% 15.01% 9 - Other commodities & transactions, n.e.s 0.01 0.00 0.10 0.02 0.00 0.17 0.00% 1443.99% Total Re-exports 43.10 74.45 58.84 100.00 100.00 100.00 -20.97% 36.53% Note: ® – Revised 1Preliminaryfigures
Formal External Trade in Goods © NISR 6 Trading Partners Table 5. Main Trading Partner Countries in April 2026 – Exports Country Exports (f.o.b.) Value: US $ Million Shares in percentage Percentage Increase/Decrease 2025 2026 2025 2026 Apr2026/ Mar2026 Apr2026/ Apr2025 Apr(R) Mar¹ Apr¹ Apr(R) Mar¹ Apr¹ 1 China 10.37 48.03 47.74 9.84 31.63 28.79 -0.01 3.60 2 Congo, The Democratic Republic Of 21.23 47.78 28.28 20.14 31.46 17.05 -0.41 0.33 3 United Arab Emirates 32.75 6.04 18.21 31.07 3.98 10.98 2.02 -0.44 4 Netherlands 1.53 5.59 10.20 1.45 3.68 6.15 0.82 5.68 5 United States 3.24 5.06 8.60 3.07 3.33 5.18 0.70 1.65 6 Singapore 0.45 1.04 5.49 0.42 0.69 3.31 4.26 11.25 7 India 1.00 5.00 5.32 0.95 3.29 3.21 0.06 4.31 8 United Kingdom 2.79 3.85 4.76 2.65 2.54 2.87 0.23 0.70 9 Burundi 1.43 2.27 4.11 1.36 1.49 2.48 0.81 1.87 10 Pakistan 3.24 3.44 3.27 3.08 2.27 1.97 -0.05 0.01 Rest of the World 27.37 23.74 29.87 25.97 15.63 18.01 0.26 0.09 Total 105.42 151.84 165.86 100.00 100.00 100.00 9.23% 57.33% Note: ® – Revised 1Preliminaryfigures Rank
Formal External Trade in Goods © NISR 7 Table 6. Main Trading Partner Countries in April 2026–Re-exports Country Re-Exports (f.o.b.) Value: US $ Million Shares in percentage Percentage Increase/Decrease 2025 2026 2025 2026 Apr2026/ Mar2026 Apr2026/ Apr2025 Apr(R) Mar¹ Apr¹ Apr(R) Mar¹ Apr¹ 1 Congo, The Democratic Republic Of 41.29 60.24 53.11 95.81 80.91 90.26 -11.84% 28.62% 2 Ethiopia 0.50 1.22 1.36 1.16 1.64 0.82 10.79% 171.21% 3 United Arab Emirates 0.36 0.79 0.68 0.84 1.06 0.41 -13.63% 86.95% 4 Burundi 0.08 0.72 0.64 0.19 0.96 0.38 -11.15% 669.82% 5 France 0.05 0.09 0.23 0.12 0.12 0.14 171.03% 366.16% 6 Congo 0.00 0.11 0.15 0.00 0.14 0.09 37.74% 9636.73% 7 Greece 0.06 0.15 0.13 0.13 0.20 0.08 -13.51% 126.28% 8 South Sudan 0.07 0.06 0.13 0.17 0.08 0.08 121.71% 78.04% 9 Tanzania, United Republic Of 0.03 0.25 0.10 0.07 0.33 0.06 -61.23% 214.32% 10 Turkey 0.08 0.14 0.08 0.19 0.19 0.05 -42.94% -2.12% Rest of the World 0.56 10.69 2.24 1.30 14.36 1.35 -79.06% 298.41% Total 43.10 74.45 58.84 100.00 100.00 100.00 -20.97% 36.53% Note: ® – Revised 1Preliminaryfigures Table 7. Main Imports Partner Countries in April 2026 Country Imports (c.i.f.) Value: US $ Million Shares in percentage Percentage Increase/ Decrease 2025 2026 2025 2026 Apr2026/ Mar2026 Apr2026/ Apr2025 Apr(R) Mar¹ Apr¹ Apr(R) Mar¹ Apr¹ 1 China 79.35 123.66 140.86 20.85 27.19 27.27 13.91% 77.53% 2 India 43.45 52.37 75.14 11.42 11.52 14.55 43.48% 72.93% 3 Tanzania, United Republic Of 42.72 34.99 58.55 11.22 7.69 11.33 67.35% 37.04% 4 Uganda 19.53 29.28 35.43 5.13 6.44 6.86 20.99% 81.39% 5 Kenya 24.56 28.74 34.56 6.45 6.32 6.69 20.28% 392.67% 6 Malaysia 6.94 17.22 19.25 1.82 3.79 3.73 11.76% 177.46% 7 United Arab Emirates 21.95 51.82 19.21 5.77 11.39 3.72 -62.92% -12.47% 8 United States 8.00 5.37 11.39 2.10 1.18 2.21 112.06% 42.48% 9 Pakistan 5.59 8.88 10.17 1.47 1.95 1.97 14.62% 81.95% 10 Germany 6.16 5.93 9.71 1.62 1.30 1.88 63.73% 57.70% Rest of the World 122.40 96.48 102.29 32.16 21.22 19.80 6.03% -16.43% Total 380.65 454.73 516.57 100.00 100.00 100.00 13.60% 35.71% Note: (R) – Revised 1Preliminary figures Rank Rank