Rwanda’s mineral exports surged 46.2 percent in 2025, boosting foreign exchange earnings and helping narrow the country’s trade deficit, according to official data.
Shipments of the country’s key 3Ts — tin (cassiterite), tungsten (wolframite), and tantalum (coltan) — climbed sharply between January and December, easing pressure on the external trade position.
Data from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning showed the trade deficit narrowed 8.4 percent, falling from $3 billion in 2024 to $2.7 billion in 2025.
Industry stakeholders attributed the growth to stronger global commodity prices, fresh investment, and Rwanda’s steady transition from artisanal mining to more mechanised operations.
By November 2025, raw tin ranked among Rwanda’s top exports to the United States, with the country recording a positive trade balance with Washington that month.
Ibrahim Kalisa, Managing Director of NEMEP Trading Ltd, said rising international prices have significantly lifted profitability.
He noted that a kilogramme of tin, which sold for about $24 early last year, is now trading at around $38 — up from $11 a decade ago.
Tantalum prices have risen from about $2.2 per unit to around $2.7, with expectations of reaching $3. Tungsten, measured in metric tonne units, has climbed to nearly $1,000, up from below $350 in previous years.
“We can now make advance payments, deploy better technology and extend working hours, including underground activities that were previously limited,” Kalisa said.
He added that his company’s export volumes have more than doubled, increasing from about 15 tonnes of each mineral to between 30 and 50 tonnes per mineral, primarily destined for China.
Mechanisation drive
Higher prices have accelerated Rwanda’s shift toward semi-industrial and industrial mining. Government investment in mechanisation has improved output, while favourable weather conditions — including limited heavy rains — allowed uninterrupted operations, improved storage, and reduced material losses.
Cassiterite prices have risen from roughly $18 to about $27 per kilogramme since August last year, while tantalum has followed a similar upward trajectory.
Despite the export gains, Rwanda continues to face accusations from parts of the international community of plundering minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo and reselling them. Kigali has consistently denied the allegations and says it complies with international traceability laws.
The mining sector generated $1.75 billion in export earnings in 2024 and is targeting $2.17 billion annually by 2029 under the National Strategy for Transformation 2.
Over the past seven years, mineral exports have more than tripled from $373 million in 2017 to $1.75 billion in 2024, reflecting regulatory reforms, value addition, and diversified markets.
Officials say Rwanda aims to double extraction efficiency from 40 percent to 80 percent as mechanisation deepens across small, medium, and large-scale mining operations.
