Rwanda Trade Portal

Prohibited and restricted goods

In accordance with the East African Community Customs Management Act, some goods are considered as prohibited or restricted for importation or exportation. Prohibited means the good shall not enter or leave the country in whatever situation, while restricted refers to quality or packaging standards or to other particular formalities or standards, as may be laid down by or in application of the Act on grounds of public morality, public policy or public health and life or humans, animals or plants, the protection of national treasures possessing artistic, historic or archeological value or the protection of industrial and commercial policy.

For restricted goods there could be possibilities of:

presentation of authentic or official documents such as licenses or certificates concerning the goods;
observance of import or export restrictions, packaging or of any other particular formalities or standards; or
lifting of restrictions, enabling the import or export operations to be carried out on the goods concerned.

Customs may take any necessary or appropriate measures, including destruction or sale by public auction, in order to regularise the situation of prohibited or restricted goods which are found to have entered the customs territory in breach of the legal provisions in force.

Find attached, a general list of prohibited and restricted goods as part of the East African Community Customs Management Act.