Uganda has negotiated a portfolio of regional, multilateral and bilateral trade agreements that give locally made goods preferential access to markets across the region and beyond. For the private sector these agreements translate into lower tariffs, simplified rules of origin, and predictable trading conditions.
Regional and continental agreements
- Treaty establishing the East African Community — the Customs Union Protocol, Common Market Protocol, EAC Customs Management Act and the Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Protocol.
- EAC Economic Partnership Agreements.
- The COMESA Treaty — the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.
- The Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement, joining EAC, COMESA and SADC.
- The African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement, establishing a single market across 55 member states.
Global and multilateral
The World Trade Organization Agreement provides most-favoured-nation market access and frames the unilateral trade preferences extended to least developed countries, several of which Uganda benefits from.
Bilateral agreements
- United States — a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) to foster bilateral trade and investment.
- European Union — the Everything but Arms (EBA) arrangement grants least developed countries duty-free, quota-free access to the EU market, alongside the EAC–EU Economic Partnership Agreement.
- China — trade and economic partnership agreements enhancing bilateral trade and cooperation.
- Trade protocols with India, Japan, Canada, Algeria and Serbia, among others.
Market access agreements: commodities and the firms exporting under them
Which commodities move under each agreement, and the Ugandan firms already exporting them. The list is a record of who is using these windows — not a closed list of who may.
| Market access agreement | Commodity | Exporters |
|---|---|---|
| COMESA & East African Community | Coffee | Ideal Commodities (U) Limited, Kawacom (U) Limited, Ugacof Limited, Kampala, Domestic Store Limited, Touton Uganda Limited |
| COMESA & East African Community | Sugar | Sugar Corporation of Uganda Limited, Kakira Sugar Limited, Kyenjojo Sugar Industries Limited and Mayuge Sugar Industries Limited |
| COMESA & East African Community | Tea | Mcleod Russel Uganda Limited, Buhweju Tea, Factory Limited, Rusekere Growers Tea Factory Co Ltd, Kyamuhunga Tea Company Limited and Igara Growers Tea Factory Limited |
| COMESA & East African Community | Dried Legumes | Capital Traders, Katumba Peter, Isaac Musinguzi, Onyango Patrick and Mugerwa Tom |
| COMESA & East African Community | Cement | Hima Cement Ltd, National Cement Company Uganda Limited, T & Cremor (Uganda) Limited, Kampala Cement Co. Limited and Tororo Cement Ltd. |
| COMESA & East African Community | Cereal Flours (Excl. Wheat) | Azyebu General Trading Co Ltd, Grand Star General Trading Co Ltd, Ministry of Defence and Veteran"S Affair, Ocean Star General Trading Co Ltd and Meselinoh General Trading Co. Ltd |
| COMESA & East African Community | Palm Oil and its Fractions | Mpigi Trading & Transit Limited, Somdiam Limited, Kalparila (U) Limited, Bidco Uganda Limited and Akhcom Limited |
| COMESA & East African Community | Wheat or Meslin Flour | Bakhresa Grain Milling Uganda Limited, Mandela Millers Limited, Mpigi Trading & Transit Limited, Om General Trading Limited and Bajaber Millers Limited |
| COMESA & East African Community | Iron/Steel Bars and Rods | Yogi Steels Limited, Pramukh Steel Limited, Mayuge Sugar, Industries Limited, Roofings Rolling Mills Limited and Tembo Steels (U) Limited |
| COMESA & East African Community | Milk and Cream, Not Concentrated or Sweetened | Rainbow Dairy Uganda Ltd, Pearl Dairy Farms Limited, Lakeside Dairy Limited, Pearl Dairyfarms Limited, Rainbow, Dairy Uganda Limited and Brookside Limited |
| COMESA & East African Community | Cereal Grains otherwise worked (excl. Rice) | Kasozi Simon, Eastcost Enterprises, Nile Agro Industries Limited, Engaano Millers Limited and Kengrow Industries Limited |
| COMESA & East African Community | Unglazed Ceramic Flags, Paving, Hearth or Wall Tiles | Goodwill (Uganda) Ceramic Co; Ltd, Millennium Tiles U Limited, Modern Tiles Limited and Tile Centre Limited. |
| COMESA & East African Community | Brans, Sharps and Other Residues derived from working of cereals | Mandela Millers Limited, Bajaber Millers Limited, Bakhresa, Grain Milling (U) Ltd, Kampala Stores, Nile Agro Industries Limited and Mbale Stores |
| COMESA & East African Community | Plywood, Veneered Panels etc. | Hong Hai Wood Uganda Limited, Evergreen Wood Industries Limited, Zhong Kai Electronics Limited and Evergreen Wood Industries Ltd |
| COMESA & East African Community | Rolled Iron or non-alloy steel | Roofings Rolling Mills Limited, Uganda Baati Ltd, Mm Intergrated Steel Mills (Uganda). |
| COMESA & East African Community | Live Bovine Animals | K.B Ranchers Farm Ltd, Nyaki Agencies Ltd, Amb/Vb Alisamu Company Ltd, Nyaki Agencies Limited and Naj Ankole Cattle Traders Limited |
| COMESA & East African Community | Other Tubes, Pipes and Hollow Profiles of Iron/Steel | Roofings Limited, Steel And Tube Industries Limited, Tembo Steels (U) Limited, Mm Intergrated Steel Mills (Uganda) Limited |
| EAC–EU Economic Partnership Agreement | Coffee | Ugacof Limited, Kawacom (U) Limited, Kyagalanyi Coffee Limited, Touton Uganda Limited and Olam Uganda Limited |
| EAC–EU Economic Partnership Agreement | Fish Fillets and Other Fish Meat | Lake Bounty Limited, Iftra Uganda Limited, Fresh Perch Limited, Karmic Foods Limited, Lake Eco Fish Processing Limited |
| EAC–EU Economic Partnership Agreement | Live Plants, Cuttings and Slips | Wagagai Limited, Rosebud Limited, Royal Van Zanten Limited, Fiduga Limited and Pearl Flowers Ltd. |
| EAC–EU Economic Partnership Agreement | Cocoa | Esco Uganda Limited, Olam Uganda Limited, Icam Chocolate Uganda Limited, African Trade Winds Ltd and Kawacom (U) Limited |
| EAC–EU Economic Partnership Agreement | Oil Seeds | Agri Exim Limited, Gulu Agricultural Development Company Li Shares U Ltd, Godson Export Commodities Limited and Cinnamon Becard Ltd |
| Canada | Oil-Cake and Other Solid Residue Of Soya Bean | Agri Exim Limited |
| Canada | Coffee | Bukonzo Joint Cooperative Union Ltd, Friends of Mothers, Initiative Limited, Funzo Coffee U Ltd, Great Lakes Coffee, Company Limited, Olam Uganda Limited and Zigoti Coffee Works Ltd |
| Canada | Fruits | Nillavan Limited, Pearl of Africa Natural Spice Expo and Tambiisa Uganda Limited |
| Canada | Soya Beans | Ugagrains Limited |
| Canada | Live Plants, Cuttings and Slips | Coa Flowers Limited, J.P Cuttings Limited, Royal Van Zanten Limited, Wagagai Limited and Xclusive Chrysanthemum Uganda Ltd |
| India | Coffee | Ugacof Limited, Tata Uganda Limited, Ideal Commodities (U) Limited, Olam Uganda Limited and Ibero (U) Ltd |
| India | Cocoa | Bundicao Limited. Esco Uganda Limited, Bakwanye Trading Co. Ltd, Kawacom (U) Limited and African Trade Winds Ltd |
| India | Dried Legumes | Discovery Trading Limited, Ideal Commodities (U) Limited, Nature Food Commodities Limited, Heya Cereals Uganda Limited and Swala Trading Co Limited |
| India | Lac, Natural Gums Etc. | Alliesagric (U) Ltd and Rosin And Turpentine Industries-Smc Limited. |
| India | Leather Of Bovine Or Equine Animals | Mehak Leathers Exim Smc Ltd, Everest Manufacturing Company Ltd, Hoopoe Trading Limited, Skyfat Tannery Company Limited. |
| Morocco | Coffee | Ugacof Limited, Louis Dreyfus Company Uganda Limited, Ideal Commodities (U) Limited, Export Trading Company (U) Limited and Ibero (U) Ltd. |
| Korea, Republic of | Coffee | Olam Uganda Limited, Kawacom (U) Limited, Ugacof Limited, Louis Dreyfus Company Uganda Limited, Discovery Trading Limited |
| Korea, Republic of | Pepper And Capiscum | Jay Fortune Limited |
| Korea, Republic of | Live Plants, Cuttings and Slips, Etc. | Royal Van Zanten Limited, Wagagai Limited and Fiduga Limited |
| Korea, Republic of | Vegetables | Kk Fresh Produce Exporters Limited |
| China (special preferential tariffs) | Veneer Sheets | Sanchuan International Ltd, Baili Yuantong International - Smc Ltd, Forestry Wood Import And Export Co. Ltd, Zi'an Duomi Group Ltd and Chengda International Ltd |
| China (special preferential tariffs) | Oil Seeds | Kawacom (U) Limited, Bidco Uganda Limited, Africot Trading Co. Limited, White Nile Exports Limited and Nine Five Group Uganda Limited |
| China (special preferential tariffs) | Coffee | Louis Dreyfus Company Uganda Limited, Mbale Importers & Exporters Limited, Ugacof Limited Olam Uganda Limited and Kawacom (U) Limited |
| China (special preferential tariffs) | Plywood, Veneered Panels Etc | Musana Manufacturing (U) Limited, Zhongxin Wood, Manufacturing Company Limi, Mushang Investments Limited, Da Ziran Manufacturers Ltd and Africa Uganda Roofing Steel Limited |
| China (special preferential tariffs) | Goat Or Kid Skin Leather | Hoopoe Trading Limited, S.W.T Leather Industries Limited And Jambo Tannery (Uganda) Limited |