The value of Rwandan goods exported to the European Union with reduced or zero import taxes doubled to about €26 million (approximately $28.8 million) in 2025, compared with the previous year, according to the EU's Ambassador to Rwanda, Jérémie Blin. In an opinion article published in The New Times on Thursday, November 12, Blin said the EU imported goods worth about €118 million from Rwanda in 2025. ALSO READ: The European Union, a reliable trade partner for Rwanda The share of eligible Rwandan goods that benefited from these arrangements also increased. According to the EU's Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) Hub, the rate rose from 22 per cent in 2024 to 86 per cent in 2025. This highlights both the scale of EU-Rwanda trade and the growing use of EU trade preferences by Rwandan exporters, Blin wrote. ALSO READ: Rwanda, EU urge stronger diplomacy amid rising global uncertainty Rwanda benefits from the EU's Everything But Arms (EBA) arrangement, which allows goods from countries classified by the United Nations as Least Developed Countries (LDCs), to enter the EU market without import duties or limits on the quantities they can sell. The arrangement covers all products except arms and ammunition. ALSO READ: Rwanda, UK to renegotiate trade deal The United Kingdom introduced its own trade preference scheme in 2021, allowing eligible developing countries, including Rwanda, to export certain goods to the UK under favourable conditions. From January 1, 2027, the EU will begin applying a revised version of its GSP for the next 10 years. Rwanda will continue to benefit from the EBA arrangement. Thus, the EU provides continuity and predictability for Rwandan exporters, Blin added.
