A latest performance report by the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development (PACEID), has attributed the recent growth in exports to strategic interventions across key markets posing even greater gains ahead. It indicates that t performance has not only bounced back from the COVID-19 downturn but promising export future.
According to the report, significant increases are experience in the Middle East, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the European Union, and Asia. The same trend has also been recorded in high-value destinations such as the United States and the United Kingdom, despite global market challenges.
PACEID Chairman Odrek Rwabwogo credited this performance to President Yoweri Museveni’s commitment to a structural transformation of Uganda’s export economy. Through reforms spearheaded by PACEID, the government has improved trade communication, market presence, and support for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) – with a strong emphasis on 13 priority commodities.
“Every economy that has grown rapidly out of poverty has exported more than 50% of its GDP,” Rwabwogo told stakeholders. “The problem is not jobs, it’s thinking. The people who know where jobs are don’t want to do them, and those who want jobs don’t know where they are.”
Rwabwogo emphasized that Uganda must shift its national mindset to prioritize trade and economic opportunity over politics, urging that “language creates meaning, and meaning shapes culture.” He pointed out the need for public discourse to spotlight trade issues such as compliance failures as much as it does to politics.
Uganda’s exports to the United States saw notable expansion in 2024, totaling USD 51.8 million in coffee exports alone, representing 8.9% of total U.S. bound shipments. “This comes despite ongoing issues surrounding the suspension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA),” part of the report reads “Ugandan vanilla, too, is gaining traction, with exporters like The Simons Uga Ltd establishing distribution networks across North America.”
More so, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), exports rose 4.72% to USD 446.94 million, signaling a rebound from the pre-pandemic peak of USD 600 million in 2020. With companies like Masheda Foods now embedded in the Congolese market. “With Uganda Airlines exploring new trade routes, PACEID is actively working to remove non-tariff barriers and expand regional integration,” Rwabogo noted.
The report highlights that now t. Country’s trade strategy goes beyond commodity exports to embrace structural innovation. Spearheaded by PACEID, there ha been an introduction of a six-step export model for products like roasted coffee to Serbia including warehousing, processing, and branding, aimed at boosting value addition and reducing logistics costs. Two Ugandan coffee outlets are now operating in Serbia’s southern city of Nis.
New trade hubs are operational in Entebbe, the DRC, and Serbia, with five more planned by end of 2025, including one in the UK. Uganda is also strengthening its footprint in markets like Nigeria, South China, and Japan, where five Ugandan products recently passed market tests. A total of 243 exporters have been profile and registered USD 460 million in export orders in this respect.
To support efficiency, Uganda has launched TradeXchange, a block-chain backed digital trade facilitation platform. Integrated with government agencies, it simplifies customs clearance, phytosanitary certification, and buyer-seller matchmaking. “A parallel investment in a Costumer Relationship Management (CRM) system with Legacy Technologies will streamline exporter feedback and documentation,” the report underscores.
According to the report, the 2025 agenda includes developing four national industrial parks focused on product aggregation, processing, and shipment. Additional targets include digitizing export documentation, enhancing pricing through improved data systems, and concluding bilateral agreements for market access.
It also reported strong results from outreach and training programs, with over 6,251 Ugandans were trained in export preparedness and vocational skills, and the media campaigns have led to a 30% increase in export inquiries and a 50% rise in organic online traffic, indicating an improved global perception of Uganda as a reliable sourcing destination.
As part of a broader government transformation agenda, upgrades to regional infrastructure such as the Kidepo and Kisoro aerodromes and other flagship projects are also underway. These efforts are aimed at boosting tourism and trade, reinforcing Uganda’s long-term development strategy.
Uganda’s export renaissance comes at a time when global trade dynamics are shifting due to supply chain realignments, regional integration efforts like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and increasing demand for traceability and compliance in agricultural exports. “Uganda’s approach combining technology, diplomacy, and local capacity-building, positions it well to leverage these shifts for sustained growth,” it emphasized.
Rwabwogo noted, “PACEID is not just about marketing or attending trade fairs. It’s about building a national system that helps farmers, SMEs, and exporters connect to the world competitively and consistently, with reforms now entering their third year, and momentum building across multiple sectors.” “Uganda’s export journey appears not only to be recovering, but accelerating, one container at a time,” he added.
The recent export growth reported by PACEID is undeniably impressive, and it’s encouraging to see Uganda making strides in global markets. However, I’m curious about the specifics of these “strategic interventions” – what exactly was done to achieve such results? The focus on SMEs and priority commodities seems like a solid approach, but how sustainable is this growth in the long term, especially with global market challenges? Odrek Rwabwogo’s call for a mindset shift towards trade over politics is thought-provoking, but how realistic is it to expect such a cultural change in Uganda’s current political climate? The data on coffee exports to the U.S. is impressive, but how is Uganda addressing the suspension of AGOA, which could pose a significant threat? Lastly, while the report highlights successes, are there any areas where Uganda is still struggling, and what’s being done to address them? I’d love to hear more about the challenges behind these achievements!