MWB TRADING offers importers, distributors and companies in Rwanda, from Tunisia, cables and equipment for power networks, LED lighting and wiring devices, pipes and fittings, tiles, sanitaryware and taps, as well as industrial raw materials. Goods leave from Radès (Tunis) or Sfax; our offers are made delivered to the transit port, Dar es Salaam or Mombasa, on CFR or CIF terms, in full 20 or 40-foot containers or as groupage for small volumes.
This guide brings together verified key facts for importing into Rwanda, a landlocked country: the corridors linking Dar es Salaam and Mombasa to Kigali, the import declaration on the electronic single window, the Rwanda Standards Board conformity check on arrival, the EAC common external tariff and the possible COMESA preference, and what to include in your enquiry.
Sources: US Department of Commerce country guide (March 2026), Rwandan press on the Rwanda Standards Board (January 2017), the Masaka depot (September 2026) and the Rusumo border (April 2026), DP World, Kenya Revenue Authority (Single Customs Territory), EAC Gazette (June 2025), COMESA Secretariat (2020 and 2021), lists of countries requiring a cargo tracking note (Maersk, 2024; GetCTN, 2026). Checked in October 2026; to be confirmed with your freight forwarder before each shipment.
These ranges from the MWB catalogue are offered from Tunisia for delivery to Rwanda. References, required standards and quantities are confirmed in each offer, together with the labelling language required.
Low and medium-voltage power cables, control cables, building wires and cables. State the cross-sections in mm², the drum lengths and the standard required for your project.
Electrical cables Power and control cables Building wires and cablesMV/LV distribution transformers, prefabricated substations and medium-voltage switchgear. State the rating, the primary and secondary voltages and the type of installation.
Transformers and network equipment MV/LV distribution transformers Prefabricated MV/LV substationsLED lamps, luminaires and street lights, switches, sockets and wiring devices for buildings and roads, with the technical data sheet of each model.
Lighting and luminaires Street lighting Electrical wiring devicesHDPE and PVC pressure pipes for water supply, PVC drainage pipes, PPR pipes and fittings for plumbing. State the diameters, pressure ratings and lengths.
HDPE pipes and fittings PVC pressure pipes PVC drainage pipes and fittings PPR pipes and fittingsFloor and wall tiles, sanitaryware, taps and tile adhesives for housing and buildings. State the formats, grades and areas.
Floor and wall tiles Taps and sanitaryware Taps and valves Tile adhesivesCalcium carbonate, raw materials for paints and detergents, polymers and industrial chemicals. State the grade, particle size and packaging required.
Calcium carbonate Raw materials for paints Polymers and plastics Industrial chemicalsRwanda has no access to the sea. From Tunisia, containers arrive, with transhipment depending on the shipping line, at Dar es Salaam, the starting point of the Central Corridor, or at Mombasa on the Northern Corridor, then travel to Kigali by road: through the Rusumo border from Tanzania, or via Kampala and Uganda from Kenya. In Kigali, the Masaka inland container depot (Kigali Logistics Platform), operated by DP World about 20 km from the city centre, offers services including warehousing and customs clearance. Our offers are made delivered to the transit port; onward transport to Kigali is arranged with your freight forwarder.
Formalities are completed online on the Rwanda Electronic Single Window (ReSW), upgraded to ASYCUDA World in 2025: the import declaration, arrival notice, manifest, clearance documents and certificates are lodged there by a licensed clearing agent, which every importer must use. The file notably includes the bill of lading, commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and the importer’s tax and VAT numbers. Under the EAC Single Customs Territory, the declaration is made and taxes are paid in Rwanda, with the Rwanda Revenue Authority, and the goods then leave the port under electronic tracking. Rwanda does not appear on the lists of countries requiring an electronic cargo tracking note. MWB prepares the commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and technical data sheets for the shipment.
Rwanda suspended its pre-shipment inspection programme in 2017: the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) checks the conformity of goods on arrival. The importer submits the arrival notice for verification by the RSB, and quality checks can take place at the importer’s premises, which speeds up release. Products related to health, safety or the environment need authorisation from the RSB and the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA), depending on the product, through the single window. The official labelling languages are Kinyarwanda, English and French.
State the delivery city in Rwanda and the preferred transit port, Dar es Salaam or Mombasa, with the references, quantities and standards required, and the labelling language you need. Say whether several product families can share one container, whether you want a CFR, CIF or FOB offer, and who arranges onward transport to Kigali.
Availability, transport, lead times and documents are confirmed in each offer.
State your products, quantities, delivery city and preferred transit port. Rwanda is already selected; you can change it.
Chat on WhatsAppRwanda is not among the countries requiring an electronic cargo tracking note (ECTN or BESC) in the lists published in 2024 and 2026. Along the corridors, goods are monitored by the regional electronic cargo tracking system to their destination. Your freight forwarder confirms the current procedure before loading.
Rwanda suspended its pre-shipment inspection programme in 2017: the Rwanda Standards Board checks conformity on arrival, based on the arrival notice submitted by the importer, and may inspect the goods at the importer’s premises. MWB prepares the commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and technical data sheets for the shipment.
Rwanda applies the EAC common external tariff, with four main rates from 0 to 35% depending on the product and higher rates for sensitive products. On top of this come 18% VAT, a 1.5% infrastructure development levy and a 0.2% African Union levy, calculated on the CIF value, and a withholding tax whose rate varies by product. Rwanda and Tunisia both take part in the COMESA free trade area, and the EAC allowed Rwanda, from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, not to apply the common tariff to goods originating in COMESA: with a COMESA certificate of origin, issued in Tunisia by customs or a chamber of commerce, products that meet the rules of origin can enter free of customs duty. Have your freight forwarder confirm the renewal of this measure.
Our offers are made delivered to the transit port, Dar es Salaam or Mombasa, on CFR or CIF terms, from Radès (Tunis) or Sfax; FOB is available on request. Onward transport to Kigali is arranged with your freight forwarder, and clearance in Rwanda goes through a licensed clearing agent.
Yes: several product families can be grouped in the same 20 or 40-foot container, and small volumes travel as groupage. For an urgent need for small quantities, air freight from Tunis-Carthage is available on request.
Let’s talk on WhatsApp: send us your product references, purchasing list or project details.
