Rwanda recorded a sharp decline in sugar imports in 2025, with volumes dropping by 36.5 percent and import value falling by 39.1 percent, according to data from the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM).
Figures show that the country imported 195,610 tonnes of sugar worth $145 million (over Rwf 212 billion) in 2025, down from 308,000 tonnes valued at $238 million (about Rwf 348 billion) in 2024.
The imports comprise both raw sugar for industrial processing and refined sugar for household consumption, as well as use in the food and beverage industry.
Minister of Trade and Industry Prudence Sebahizi attributed the decline to a combination of factors, including reduced domestic demand for refined sugar, increased local production, and a drop in re-exports.
“The decrease in imports is largely driven by lower domestic consumption of refined sugar and a rise in local production,” he said.
He added that reduced re-export volumes—particularly raw sugar shipped abroad for processing—also contributed to the trend.
The latest figures mark a reversal from 2024, when sugar imports had increased by 24 percent compared to 2023, rising from $192 million to $238 million.
To sustain the downward trend, the government is scaling up efforts to boost domestic production. Plans are underway to allocate 8,000 hectares for sugarcane cultivation, expected to generate at least $50 million in output.
Officials say the move will strengthen local processing capacity and gradually reduce dependence on imported sugar, in line with Rwanda’s broader import substitution strategy.
