01Key Takeaways
- Rwanda imported $5.12 billion worth of goods in 2022, up 37.1% from $3.74 billion in 2021, the most recent year with verified trade data available in this dataset.
- Mineral fuels led import categories at 15.3% ($786.12 million), followed by precious stones, metals and jewellery at 10.0% ($510.29 million).
- China supplied 21.0% of imports ($1.08 billion), by far the largest single partner.
- Tanzania ranked second among partners at 11.1% ($567.86 million), just ahead of Kenya and India, both near 9.3%.
024-Year Trend
| Year | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $3.2B | $3.7B | $3.7B | $5.1B |
03Top Import Markets (2022)
| Rank | Partner | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | $1.1B | 21.0% |
| 2 | Tanzania | $567.9M | 11.1% |
| 3 | Kenya | $478.8M | 9.3% |
| 4 | India | $475.6M | 9.3% |
| 5 | United Arab Emirates | $419.1M | 8.2% |
| 6 | Saudi Arabia | $161.9M | 3.2% |
| 7 | South Africa | $130.8M | 2.6% |
| 8 | Belgium | $125.8M | 2.5% |
| 9 | Indonesia | $107.9M | 2.1% |
| 10 | Turkey | $103.0M | 2.0% |
04Top Import Categories (2022)
| Rank | Category | Value | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mineral Fuels, Mineral Oils and Products of their Distillation; Bituminous Substances; Mineral Waxes | $786.1M | 15.3% |
| 2 | Natural or Cultured Pearls, Precious or Semi-Precious Stones, Precious Metals, Metals Clad with Precious Metal, and Articles thereof; Imitation Jewellery; Coin | $510.3M | 10.0% |
| 3 | Electrical Machinery and Equipment and parts thereof; Sound Recorders and Reproducers, Television Image and Sound Recorders and Reproducers, and Parts and Accessories of such Articles | $322.0M | 6.3% |
| 4 | Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery and Mechanical Appliances; Parts thereof | $308.1M | 6.0% |
| 5 | Cereals | $271.1M | 5.3% |
| 6 | Animal or Vegetable Fats and Oils and their Cleavage Products; Prepared Edible Fats; Animal or Vegetable Waxes | $226.6M | 4.4% |
| 7 | Iron and Steel | $199.9M | 3.9% |
| 8 | Sugars and Sugar Confectionery | $194.8M | 3.8% |
| 9 | Articles of Iron or Steel | $169.4M | 3.3% |
| 10 | Vehicles other than Railway or Tramway Rolling-Stock, and parts and accessories thereof | $159.0M | 3.1% |
05Trade Partner Map
06Analysis
Import Value Jumped Sharply in the Most Recent Year
Rwanda imported $5.12 billion worth of goods in 2022, up 37.1% from $3.74 billion in 2021. As with the export side of Rwandan trade, covered in the companion data for this country, this dataset's coverage runs from 2019 through 2022 only. That is four confirmed years rather than the five-year window available for most other countries here, and 2022 is the most recent year with verified data.
Imports stood at $3.19 billion in 2019, rose to $3.71 billion in 2020, held nearly flat at $3.74 billion in 2021, then jumped to $5.12 billion in 2022. That 2022 acceleration was considerably sharper on the import side than on the export side of Rwandan trade over the same year, where growth was closer to 29%, widening the gap between the two.
Mineral Fuels and Precious Metals Top a Broad Import List
Mineral fuels and related products led every import category in 2022, worth $786.12 million, or 15.3% of the total. As a landlocked country, Rwanda imports all of its petroleum products overland through the ports of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and Mombasa, Kenya. That dependence also shows up in this dataset's partner rankings, where both Tanzania and Kenya rank among the top three import suppliers. Natural and precious stones, metals and jewellery followed at 10.0% ($510.29 million), the same broad category that leads Rwanda's export list. Electrical machinery added 6.3% ($321.98 million), and machinery, boilers and mechanical appliances contributed 6.0% ($308.08 million).
Cereals added 5.3% ($271.14 million), and animal or vegetable fats and oils contributed 4.4% ($226.64 million). Iron and steel added 3.9% ($199.87 million), and sugars and sugar confectionery contributed 3.8% ($194.82 million). Iron or steel articles added 3.3% ($169.39 million), and vehicles closed out the top ten at 3.1% ($159.00 million).
A list topped by fuel and precious materials, followed by machinery, cereals and manufactured metal goods, describes an economy importing both the energy and feedstock its own producers use and a wide range of finished and semi-finished goods.
China Supplies a Fifth of Rwanda's Imports
China supplied 21.0% of Rwanda's imports in 2022, worth $1.08 billion, by far the largest single partner. Tanzania ranked second at 11.1% ($567.86 million), and Kenya followed at 9.3% ($478.76 million). India contributed a nearly identical 9.3% ($475.55 million), and United Arab Emirates added 8.2% ($419.05 million). Together, the top three suppliers made up 41.5% of total import value.
Saudi Arabia contributed 3.2% ($161.89 million), and South Africa added 2.6% ($130.80 million). Belgium contributed 2.5% ($125.83 million), and Indonesia added 2.1% ($107.86 million). Turkey closed out the top ten at 2.0% ($103.01 million).
China's share of Rwanda's imports, at 21.0%, is considerably larger than its 4.8% share of Rwanda's exports, covered in the companion export data for this country, where China ranked only third among destinations. That asymmetry, a much larger supplier role than customer role, is one of the more notable features of this dataset's 2022 snapshot.
Taken together, Rwanda's 2022 import data, the most recent confirmed year available, describes an economy sourcing fuel, precious materials and machinery from a mix of global and regional partners. China stands well ahead of every other supplier on the list, while regional neighbors Tanzania and Kenya also play a meaningful role.