Rwanda’s exports increased by 58.6% in the second quarter of 2026, but the country continued to spend almost three times more on imports than it earned from goods sold abroad, new official figures show.
Exports were valued at $548.98 million between April and June, compared with imports worth $1.606 billion, according to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR).
The value of exports rose from $346.04 million in the second quarter of 2025 and was 49.6% higher than in the first quarter of 2026.
Imports, meanwhile, increased 28.7% compared with the same period last year.
Overall, Rwanda’s international trade reached $2.334 billion during the quarter, representing a 34.5% increase from the second quarter of 2025 and a 23.3% rise from the previous quarter.
Imports accounted for 68.8% of total international trade, while exports represented 23.5%.
China, the United Arab Emirates, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Netherlands and the United States were the five largest destinations for Rwanda’s exports, receiving goods worth 71.1% of total exports.
China also ranked among the country’s five largest sources of imports, alongside Tanzania, India, Kenya and Uganda. The five countries together accounted for 60.8% of Rwanda’s import value.
Trade with the European Union also expanded during the quarter. Rwanda’s exports to EU countries rose 134.2% from the previous quarter and 39.9% from a year earlier.
Total trade between Rwanda and the EU reached $156.90 million, compared with $119.60 million in the first quarter.
Trade with CEPGL countries stood at $285 million, while Rwanda’s exports to the bloc rose 36.4% year-on-year and 11.7% quarter-on-quarter.
