Rwanda Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in rwanda, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Mining and Minerals
Last published date:

Overview

Rwanda’s mining sector is a major driver of economic growth, and the country has become a key exporter of strategic and critical minerals, including tungsten, tin, tantalum, and gold (3TG).  Rwanda has Africa’s largest tungsten mine and consistently places within the top two for tin exports and top five for tantalum, niobium, and vanadium by value, per UN Comtrade’s 2022 data. In 2024, the Rwanda exported $1.75 billion in minerals, a fourfold increase from 2017. Small-scale mining is prevalent, but the government is promoting formalization, technological upgrading, and increased investment in mineral processing. In 2024, Rwanda exported $1.5 billion in gold.

The Rwanda Mines, Petroleum and Gas Board (RMB), the regulator, continues to lead sector oversight, investment promotion, licensing, and strategic campaigns to attract international investment. Potential investors should be aware that Rwanda’s mineral supply chain adheres to international due diligence frameworks, including Section 1502 of the U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which applies to tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold.

Table: Minerals Sector Profile

Year

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2024 Estimate

Total Local Production

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Total Exports (in $millions)

$783 

$567.4 

$124.9 

$507.6 

$810.5 

~$1,750 (estimated)

Total Imports

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Imports from US

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Exchange Rates

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Source:

UN Comtrade Database (Commodity codes: 2609 Tin Ore, 2611 Tungsten, 2614 Titanium, 2615 Niobium-Tantalum, 7108 Gold), Rwanda Mining, Petroleum and Gas Board, and Rwanda Development Board reports. For detailed and comprehensive international trade data by commodity and country, including Rwanda’s minerals trade statistics, please visit the official UN Comtrade Database.

Leading Sub-sectors

•    Tin Ore.
•    Tungsten (Wolfram).
•    Nobium-Tantalum (Coltan).
•    Gold.
•    Gemstones and rare earth elements

Opportunities

•    Mineral exploration (focusing on Tin, Tungsten, Coltan, lithium, and gemstones).
•    Provision and rental of industrial mining equipment to support sector mechanization.
•    Development of mineral processing plants for smelting, refining, and gemstone polishing and cutting.
•    Strategic Partnerships and joint ventures with local mining companies to formalize and modernize operations.
•    Mineral trade facilitation and export channel development.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

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