• Rwanda is negotiating with China to start exporting avocados there.
• The deal, now in advanced talks, could be signed soon, according to its embassy in Beijing.
• Avocados already account for about 30% of Rwanda’s fruit export earnings.

The Rwandan government is in talks to secure access to China’s avocado market, according to a statement released on November 4 by the Rwandan embassy in Beijing. The negotiations are reportedly at an advanced stage.

“The protocol for the export of Rwanda's avocados to China is also expected to be signed soon, further broadening the variety of Rwandan products available to Chinese consumers,” the statement said. If concluded, this process will open a new export destination for Rwanda’s growing avocado industry.

China is the second-largest avocado importer in Asia after Japan. Data from Trade Map shows that the country imported nearly 49,000 tons of avocados worth $122.4 million in 2024, mainly from Peru and Chile, which together accounted for about 90% of the total supply.

Beyond these two dominant suppliers, Rwanda will also face competition from smaller exporters such as New Zealand, Kenya, and Mexico as it seeks to enter the Chinese market.

Access to China could also strengthen the role of avocados in Rwanda’s fruit export basket. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), the country earned $34.7 million from fruit exports in 2023/2024, with avocados contributing about 30% of the total, or roughly $11 million.