Pakistan and Rwanda have agreed to move toward direct trade and shipping links, identifying supply chain connectivity and lower transit costs as immediate priorities to deepen bilateral economic cooperation.
The understanding emerged during the Rwanda Coffee Festival held in Islamabad, which was inaugurated by Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan. On the sidelines of the event, the commerce minister held talks with Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry Prudence Sebahizi, where both sides agreed to establish direct supply chains, strengthen business-to-business engagement, and widen cooperation across trade, agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, and investment.
Coordinator to the Prime Minister for Commerce Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan was also present at the meeting.
Addressing the event, the commerce minister said Pakistan and Rwanda, both agro-based economies, shared strong complementarities at a time when global food security had become a strategic concern. He said the engagement aimed to unlock untapped trade potential through structured and predictable commercial linkages.
He noted that Rwanda’s exports to Pakistan had traditionally been dominated by tea, but coffee consumption in Pakistan was rising rapidly, particularly among younger consumers. Pakistan currently imports tea worth nearly $3 billion annually, while coffee is gradually moving from a niche product to a mainstream consumer item.
Kamal Khan said Rwanda’s premium quality coffee, competitive pricing, and geographic positioning gave it a natural advantage. He added that Pakistan’s market of more than 250 million people could also serve as a gateway for Rwandan coffee exports to Central Asia, western China, and neighboring regions. He also referred to Pakistan’s ongoing tariff rationalization policy, under which tariff lines are being gradually reduced to improve competitiveness.
On the export side, the commerce minister highlighted Pakistan’s strengths in rice, textiles, leather and footwear, sports goods, surgical instruments, pharmaceuticals, home appliances, electronics, and agricultural machinery. He said Pakistan had already begun exporting tractors to African markets and was keen to diversify trade with Rwanda on a mutually beneficial basis.
He also indicated Pakistan’s interest in importing Rwandan avocados, pulses, lentils, and beans, and assured facilitation in phytosanitary certification through cooperation between relevant authorities.
Rwanda’s trade minister described Pakistan as a major potential market and said his country was working to diversify exports beyond tea to include specialty coffee, spices, and other value-added products. He said the coffee festival was part of a broader effort to introduce Rwandan coffee to Pakistani consumers.
Sebahizi highlighted Rwanda’s role as a trade and distribution hub, offering access to a market of more than 1.4 billion people under the African Continental Free Trade Area. He noted that Pakistani rice, both basmati and non-basmati, was consumed in Rwanda and re exported to other African markets.
Both sides emphasized the need for direct supply chains to reduce reliance on transshipment through third countries. The Rwandan side said discussions were under way with Pakistan’s maritime authorities to cut shipping times and costs, noting that current transit periods of up to 45 days could be significantly reduced.
The two ministers also reviewed progress on a proposed memorandum of understanding on trade and economic cooperation, which has already been exchanged through diplomatic channels. Rwanda said only minor technical adjustments remained and expressed confidence that the agreement could be finalized soon.
Separately, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry and Rwandan High Commissioner Harerimana Fatou discussed proposals to establish direct sea routes from Karachi to East African ports, including Djibouti and Mombasa. The discussions included plans to reduce shipping costs by up to 30 percent and shorten transit times through a Karachi Djibouti route.
The maritime affairs minister said Gwadar was being positioned as a future export hub for Africa, supporting Pakistani exports while facilitating imports of Rwandan tea, coffee, and avocados. He added that direct maritime links would improve connectivity for Rwanda, despite its landlocked status, by using Djibouti and Mombasa as key gateways.