{"id":98413,"date":"2025-03-28T18:11:44","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T18:11:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/whats-driving-rwandas-export-growth"},"modified":"2025-04-25T19:28:58","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T19:28:58","slug":"whats-driving-rwandas-export-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/whats-driving-rwandas-export-growth","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s driving Rwanda\u2019s export growth?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600\"><strong>Africa-Press &#8211; Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>Rwanda\u2019s merchandise export revenue rose by 6.9 percent in 2024, reaching $1.691 billion (approximately Rwf2.4 trillion), up from $1.582 billion (approximately Rwf2.2 trillion) in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>The volume of exports also grew significantly, increasing by 14.8 percent, according to the latest figures from the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR).<\/p>\n<p>The growth of merchandise exports \u2013 tangible goods that a country produces and sells to buyers in other countries \u2013 outpaced imports. Imports rose by 5.8 per cent in value and 10.2 per cent in volume over the same period.<\/p>\n<p>Officials attributed the increase in export earnings to growth in domestic manufacturing and stronger performance in traditional export sectors such as coffee, tea, minerals, hides, and skins.<\/p>\n<p>Prudence Sebahizi, Minister of Trade and Industry, noted that Rwanda is also stepping up efforts to diversify its export base beyond traditional products.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNotably, construction materials and agro-processed products have emerged among Rwanda\u2019s top-performing exports in 2024,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese products not only featured prominently among our leading exports, but also recorded positive growth compared to their export values in the previous year,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>The value of traditional exports rose by 9.4 per cent in 2024 compared to 2023, as higher international prices for cassiterite and tea offset the modest performance in coffee exports, BNR said.<\/p>\n<p>Agro-processed food items and horticulture products like fruits, vegetables, and flowers led to the growth of non-traditional exports by 5.7 per cent in 2024, thanks in large part to the increase in regional demand as well as government initiatives to promote value addition and industrialisation.<\/p>\n<p><b>Key drivers<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Teddy Kaberuka, an economic analyst, told The New Times, the growth in exports is linked to an increase in the country&#8217;s gross domestic product (GDP).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen GDP rises, it often reflects improved production capacity. Farmers may be producing more \u2013 possibly due to favorable weather conditions \u2013 and other sectors of the economy might also be performing better,\u201d he observed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAltogether, this leads to higher overall output, which in turn boosts export levels,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Jean-Claude Rwubahuka, another economic analyst, stated that the increase in exports is largely attributed to the strong relationship between Rwanda and the countries to which goods are exported.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe couldn&#8217;t have exported to these countries if there hadn&#8217;t been good relations,\u201d he noted, adding that the country&#8217;s strategy to attract investors has played a significant role.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe textile industry, which has experienced notable growth, now includes companies exporting clothing that didn\u2019t exist ten years ago, and their production capacity continues to expand,\u201d he weighed in.<\/p>\n<p>Rwubahuka emphasised that investment in infrastructure is crucial, suggesting that continued improvements in transportation systems would facilitate the activities of investors and exporters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe quality of goods is also essential. Rwanda\u2019s products are thoroughly checked to meet international market standards, and consistent quality contributes to export success,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p><b>Exporters speak out<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Herman Uwizeyimana, the General Manager of Fisher Global Ltd, an exporter of dried chilli based in Rwamagana District, highlighted that various incentives have encouraged farmers to invest more in agriculture, ultimately boosting productivity.<\/p>\n<p>He pointed out that support measures such as livestock insurance have given farmers the confidence to invest without the fear of financial loss. Additionally, subsidies for organic fertilisers and the provision of lime to improve soil lacking calcium or calcium-magnesium compounds have played a crucial role in increasing yields.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVarious efforts have also encouraged Rwandans to engage more in cash crop farming rather than relying solely on food crops,\u201d he said. \u201cThat shift is one of the reasons why exports have increased.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sharing his own experience, Uwizeyimana noted a significant rise in his chilli exports. \u201cI used to export between 200 and 250 tonnes of dried chilli annually, but in 2024, I managed to export 300 tonnes,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Jeanne Sheila Uwibona, a honey exporter, called for the government to support exporters in obtaining essential certifications, such as organic certification, to meet the specific requirements of different countries.<\/p>\n<p>She also advocated for support in consolidating shipments into a single container to reduce high air cargo shipping costs and address buyers&#8217; concerns.<\/p>\n<p><b>Import bill rose<\/b><\/p>\n<p>According to BNR, merchandise imports rose by 5.8 per cent, reaching $4.55 billion in 2024, driven by higher demand for capital goods, intermediate goods, and fuel.<\/p>\n<p>The increase contributed to a 5.2 per cent widening of the trade deficit, reaching $2.858 billion, indicating that Rwanda continues to import more than it exports.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this, the report highlighted an improvement in the export-to-import ratio, suggesting a positive shift in the trade balance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For More News And Analysis About <span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Rwanda<\/span> Follow <span style=\"color: #ff6600\">Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa-Press &#8211; Rwanda. Rwanda\u2019s merchandise export revenue rose by 6.9 percent in 2024, reaching $1.691 billion (approximately Rwf2.4 trillion), up from $1.582 billion (approximately Rwf2.2 trillion) in 2023. The volume of exports also grew significantly, increasing by 14.8 percent, according to the latest figures from the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR). The growth of merchandise [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":98412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,15],"tags":[6213,6506,758,725],"class_list":["post-98413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-economy","tag-minicom","tag-nst2","tag-rwanda","tag-trade"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What\u2019s driving Rwanda\u2019s export growth? - Rwanda<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Rwanda\u2019s merchandise export revenue rose by 6.9 percent in 2024, reaching $1.691 billion (approximately Rwf2.4 trillion) ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/whats-driving-rwandas-export-growth\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What\u2019s driving Rwanda\u2019s export growth?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Rwanda\u2019s merchandise export revenue rose by 6.9 percent in 2024, reaching $1.691 billion (approximately Rwf2.4 trillion) ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/whats-driving-rwandas-export-growth\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rwanda\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-28T18:11:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-25T19:28:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2025\/03\/sm_1743173741.744154.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"666\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/whats-driving-rwandas-export-growth#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/whats-driving-rwandas-export-growth\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"What\u2019s driving Rwanda\u2019s export growth?\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-28T18:11:44+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-25T19:28:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/whats-driving-rwandas-export-growth\"},\"wordCount\":749,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/whats-driving-rwandas-export-growth#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/sites\/23\/2025\/03\/sm_1743173741.744154.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Minicom\",\"NST2\",\"Rwanda\",\"trade\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Economy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/whats-driving-rwandas-export-growth#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/whats-driving-rwandas-export-growth\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/economy\/whats-driving-rwandas-export-growth\",\"name\":\"What\u2019s driving Rwanda\u2019s export growth? 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