Pakistan and Rwanda have agreed to work toward direct trade and shipping links, identifying supply chain connectivity and reduced transit costs as key priorities to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation. The understanding was reached 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, Jam Kamal Khan held discussions with Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry Prudence Sebahizi, where both sides agreed to establish direct supply chains, enhance business-to-business engagement, and expand cooperation across trade, agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, and investment. Coordinator to the Prime Minister for Commerce Rana Ihsaan Afzal Khan was also present during the talks.
Addressing the gathering, the commerce minister said Pakistan and Rwanda, both agro-based economies, shared strong complementarities at a time when global food security had become increasingly important. 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 focused on tea, while coffee consumption in Pakistan was growing rapidly, particularly among younger consumers.
Pakistan currently imports tea worth nearly $3 billion annually, while coffee is gradually shifting from a niche product to a mainstream consumer item. Jam 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 over 250 million people could also serve as a gateway for Rwandan coffee exports to Central Asia, western China, and neighboring regions, while referencing Pakistan’s ongoing tariff rationalization policy aimed at improving competitiveness.
On the export side, the 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 expressed interest in importing Rwandan avocados, pulses, lentils, and beans, while assuring 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 broader efforts to introduce Rwandan coffee to Pakistani consumers. Sebahizi also 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 basmati and non-basmati rice was already consumed in Rwanda and re-exported to other African markets. Both sides stressed the importance of establishing 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 reduce shipping times and costs, noting that current transit periods of up to 45 days could be significantly shortened.
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, and improving connectivity for Rwanda despite its landlocked status.
