In the second quarter of 2026, Rwanda’s total trade was valued at US$ 2334.96 million, representing an increase of 23.35% from the first quarter of 2026. Domestic exports were estimated at US$ 548.98 million, imports at US$ 1,606.39 million, and re-exports at US$ 179.59 million.
During this quarter, Rwanda’s total domestic exports increased by 58.65% compared to the second quarter of 2025 (US$ 548.98 million and US$ 346.04 million respectively). However, they increased by 49.65% compared to the first quarter of 2026.
Simultaneously, the country’s total imports increased by 28.78% in the second quarter of 2026 relative to the same quarter of 2025 and increased by 20.58% from the first quarter of 2026. Similarly, re-exports increased by 26.11% in the second quarter of 2026 over the same quarter of 2025 and decreased by 7.35% compared to the first quarter of 2026.
The top five export destinations were China, United Arab Emirates, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Netherlands and the United States.
TABLE: Top destinations of exports of Rwanda in Q2, 2026 (US$ million)
| Year and Period | 2026Q2 |
| China | 142.38 |
| United Arab Emirates | 107.96 |
| Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) | 89.51 |
| Netherlands | 26.50 |
| United States | 24.22 |
| United Kingdom | 14.00 |
| Burundi | 13.39 |
| India | 12.80 |
| Thailand | 12.11 |
| Germany | 10.66 |
| Singapore | 9.59 |
| Belgium | 8.91 |
In terms of re-exports, the top five destinations were the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, United Arab Emirates and Burundi. Democratic Republic of Congo accounted for 88.10% of Rwanda’s total re-exports.
The most re-exported commodity group was “Food and live animals” (US$ 71.34 million) followed by “Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials” (US$ 40.66 million). China, Tanzania, India, Kenya and Uganda were the top five countries of origin for Rwanda’s imports measured on a CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) basis.