Rwanda’s top 10 imported products in 2024 amounted to more than $1.95 billion (approx. Rwf2.8 trillion), according to the Trade & Industry Performance 2024 data by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, highlighting their importance in supporting both household consumption and industrial production.

Those products accounted for 28.4 per cent of the country’s total merchandise import bill of more than $6.88 billion in 2024.

While the country’s total merchandise exports reached over $3.16 billion in 2024, marking a 27.4 per cent increase from $2.48 billion in 2023, total imports rose by 11.2 per cent, from more than $6.19 billion in 2023 to over $6.88 billion in 2024.

As a result, Rwanda recorded a trade deficit of more than $3.71 billion in 2024.

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As per the Trade & Industry Performance 2024 data, petroleum oils (fuel) topped the list, reaching $680 million import bill – marking a 9.5 per cent increase from $621 million in 2023. Rice was the second-largest import, rising by 32.6 per cent to $317 million from $239 million.

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Other major imports and their year-over-year changes, as per the same data, included: