U.S. imports from Rwanda for the first eight months of 2007 amount to $7 million indicating a 77% increase from the same period in 2006 and government wants that to double, figures from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative show.

The figures released to coincide with ongoing bilateral negotiations on trade between the two countries also show that the imports from the U.S. into Rwanda rose by 21% for the same period amounting to $11.5 million. This means that there still remains a small trade imbalance in favour of the U.S.

Rwanda Trade and Commerce Minister Mr. Protais Mitali is leading a delegation to Washington that this week discussed ways to increase trade and investment with U.S officials headed by Deputy Trade Representative Karan Bhatia.

According to a statement from the top US trade envoy, representatives of fifteen U.S agencies participated in the discussions that should see trade and investment ties scaled up considerably.

Officials from the two countries also assessed recent trends in two-way trade, negotiations towards a U.S-Rwanda Bilateral Investment Treaty and performance of Rwanda in the U.S preferential trade platform AGOA. The talks also centered on the WTO trade negotiations.

According to the trade figures, total two-way goods exchange between Rwanda and the world power reached $18.6 million this year making an increase of 37% from the previous year. Products that the U.S imports from Rwanda include tungsten, ore and the world class Rwandan coffee that is bought by retail giant Starbucks among the many.

"Substantially all Rwandan imports entered the U.S duty-free during this period, with over half of total imports entering the U.S under preferences available under the AGOA and the Generalised System of Preferences", the statement notes.

Rwanda is also sourcing big from U.S aid money with up to $167 million coming in 2007 - up by more than 40%. However, a large portion of it goes into HIV controls programs.

All U.S funding goes into project support with no single cent moving into budgetary allocations, according to the U.S Embassy in Kigali.

The trade negotiations for a Bilateral Investment Treaty begun in June 2007, and officials say though strenuous but are making progress with an agreement due soon. Rwanda is the first in nearly a decade working on such a treaty that would give the business climate here a boost.

Latest AGOA Trade Data currently available on AGOA.info


Click here to view a sector profile of Rwanda’s bilateral trade with the United States, disaggregated by total exports and imports, AGOA exports and GSP exports.

Other regularly updated trade statistics on AGOA.info include: (click each link to view)