Burundi’s Imports From Rwanda Double Despite the Border It Closed in 2024
Key Facts
- The country. Burundi is a landlocked East African state of about 14.4 million people. Its whole economy was about US$3.4 billion in 2025, roughly US$234 per person (World Bank).
- Why it matters. Burundi depends on imports for fuel, flour and building materials. Neighbouring Rwanda, just to the north, is one of its closest sources of supply.
- Why now. New Rwandan data show sales to Burundi rising fast, though Burundi shut the land border on 11 January 2024.
- What happened. Rwanda’s recorded exports to Burundi reached US$13.39 million in April–June 2026, more than double the US$6.55 million of January–March.
- The numbers. That is nearly four times the US$3.72 million of April–June 2023, before the closure. Burundi took about 2.4 per cent of Rwanda’s exports.
- What it means for you. Travellers still cannot cross the land border. Firms supplying Burundi should expect scarce dollars, fuel shortages and goods arriving through Rwanda despite the dispute.
- Still open. Neither government has said how the goods reach Burundi, and no date to reopen the border has been announced.
Burundi’s border with Rwanda is shut to people, yet its purchases of Rwandan goods have more than doubled in a single quarter.
Burundi imports from Rwanda have surged in 2026, although Burundi closed the land border between the two neighbours in January 2024. Rwanda’s recorded exports to Burundi reached US$13.39 million in the second quarter, according to official Rwandan data.
Burundi and Rwanda are small, densely populated countries in Africa’s Great Lakes region. Their governments have accused each other for years of backing armed rebels, and relations remain openly hostile.
What the figures show
The data come from the trade report of the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), the official statistics office. KT Press, a Kigali-based news site, published the figures on 25 September.
Exports to Burundi of US$13.39 million in April to June were more than double the US$6.55 million of January to March. They were also nearly four times the US$3.72 million of the same quarter in 2023, before the closure.
For Rwanda the sums are modest. Its domestic exports worldwide totalled US$548.98 million in the quarter, so Burundi took about 2.4 per cent.
China was Rwanda’s largest buyer at US$142.38 million, followed by the United Arab Emirates at US$107.96 million. The Democratic Republic of Congo came third at US$89.51 million.
Within the East African Community (EAC), the eight-nation regional trade bloc, Burundi ranked second. It took about 11.5 per cent of Rwanda’s US$116.47 million in sales to the bloc, while Congo took about 77 per cent.
What Burundi is buying
The goods point mainly to daily consumption and construction. Food items include maize, maize flour, wheat flour, cassava flour, potatoes, milk, eggs and vegetables.
Manufactured goods include cement, steel, plastics, soaps, detergents, beverages, glassware and electrical equipment. Rwanda also re-exports products it buys abroad, such as fuels, lubricants and goods from China and the Gulf.
In effect, Rwanda serves Burundi both as a producer and as a gateway to wider world markets. The trade runs almost entirely one way, because Burundi is not among Rwanda’s main suppliers.
Why the border is closed
Burundi closed its land border with Rwanda on 11 January 2024. It accused Kigali of supporting RED-Tabara, a Burundian rebel group that claimed a deadly attack in Burundi in December 2023.
Rwanda denied the accusation and called the closure a unilateral step against regional integration. The quarrel has since widened to the war in eastern Congo, where both countries are accused of backing rival forces.
President Évariste Ndayishimiye of Burundi has described Rwanda as a hostile country. Rwanda, led by President Paul Kagame, rejects his accusations and voices its own concerns about Burundi’s troops in Congo.
It is not the first rupture. Burundi also closed the border in 2015 amid political turmoil, and Rwandan exports fell sharply until it reopened in October 2022.
Why Burundi needs the goods
Burundi is short of foreign currency. International Monetary Fund (IMF) figures reported in June 2026 put its reserves at about US$214 million at the end of 2025. That covers only 1.6 months of imports.
Fuel has also been scarce. FEWS NET, a famine early-warning network funded by the United States, has reported severe fuel shortages since March, when conflict in the Middle East disrupted oil supplies.
Shortages have raised transport costs and pushed up prices for food and other necessities. Nearby suppliers therefore matter more, especially for flour, fuel products and building materials.
What it means for outsiders
For investors and exporters, the data show that political ruptures in the region do not end demand. Goods keep moving even when governments are not talking.
For travellers, nothing has changed: the land crossings between Rwanda and Burundi remain closed to people. Visitors must fly or go round through Tanzania or Congo.
For firms selling into Burundi, the bigger risk is payment. With reserves this thin, obtaining dollars to settle import bills remains slow and uncertain.
What is not known
The figures are formal exports recorded on the Rwandan side. They do not show which routes the goods take, and neither government has explained how they reach Burundian buyers.
Nor do they signal a thaw. No talks on reopening the border have been announced, and the dispute over eastern Congo continues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Rwanda-Burundi border open?
No. Burundi closed its land border with Rwanda on 11 January 2024, and goods still arrive while people cannot use the crossings.
How much does Burundi buy from Rwanda?
Rwanda’s recorded exports to Burundi were US$13.39 million in April to June 2026, official Rwandan data show. That was more than double the previous quarter and nearly four times the level of mid-2023.
Why are Burundi imports from Rwanda rising?
Burundi is short of foreign currency and fuel, and the IMF put its reserves at about 1.6 months of imports at the end of 2025. Nearby Rwanda supplies food, cement, steel and re-exported fuel products.
Does the trade mean relations are improving?
Not necessarily. Both governments still trade accusations over rebel groups and eastern Congo. No talks on the border have been announced.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error
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