Rwanda’s exports to EAC up by 65.7%

Rwanda’s exports to other East African Community (EAC) states increased by 65.7 per cent in the third quarter of this year to US$16.37m (Rwf9.7b) compared to US$9.88m (Rwf5.8b) in the same period last year. According to Rwanda External Trade Statistics Report by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), Kenya was the main destination of Rwanda products with a share of 84.8 per cent of the total exports to EAC region, followed by Burundi and Uganda for 9.3 and 5.1 per cent respectively. “Compared with third quarter 2010 level, the exports value to Kenya rose by 116.1 per cent and the export to Burundi also rose by 8.3 per cent while there is a decrease of 78.5 and 40.1 per cent of exports to Tanzania and Uganda respectively,” the report said. The report further indicates that imports from EAC partner states increased by 17 per cent from US$ 89.6m (Rwf53.3b) in the second third 2010 to US$ 104.8m (Rwf62.3b) in the third quarter 2011. “Uganda and Kenya continued to have big shares of Rwanda imports from EAC region contributing 49.9 and 30.3 per cent, respectively. This is to say that more than 80 per cent of imports are from Uganda and Kenya. The share of imports from Burundi dropped to 0.9 per cent against 1.3 per cent in the second quarter of 2011,” the report said. The report also says that the majority of imports are from EAC, COMESA and European Union member states with the share of 28.7, 26.5 and 17.1 per cent respectively. All EAC partner states, except Tanzania are members of COMESA. Total imports increased by 23 per cent EAC’s accused 17.9 per cent increase and those from ECOWAS decreased by 84.5 per cent compared with the third quarter of 2010. Compared to the second quarter of 2011, EU registered an increase of 25.9 per cent while SADC scored a decrease of 13.7 per cent. During the third quarter of 2011, more than a half of the imports of Rwanda are from Africa. Asia and Europe follow with 21.6 and 18.8 per cent respectively. “The shares of imports from EUROPE in two recent years have gradually decreased from 27.6 per cent in the first quarter 2009 to 18.8 per cent in the third quarter of 2011 while the shares of imports from Africa risen from 40.2 per cent to 54.0 per cent in the third quarter of 2011,” said the report. Ends