Merchandise imports grow by 30.1%—report
The increase in imports, both on a month-on-month basis and on a year-on-year basis, was mainly driven by formal private sector oil and non-oil imports.
There was a 30.1% growth in the total of merchandise imports to Uganda from the rest of the world in May 2025. (File photo)
By Umaru Kashaka
Journalists @New Vision
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There was a 30.1% growth in the total of merchandise imports to Uganda from the rest of the world in May 2025 compared to the same month last year.
In the latter month, the country imported merchandise worth $1,007.08 million, while in the former, imports increased to $1,309.71 million.
Similarly, there was growth, albeit modest, of merchandise imports between April 2025 and May 2025, according to the finance ministry performance of the economy report for June 2025.
In April 2025, the total merchandise import bill was recorded at $1,235.65 million.
The increase in imports, both on a month-on-month basis and on a year-on-year basis, was mainly driven by formal private sector oil and non-oil imports.
Vegetable products, animal products, beverages, fats and oil imports grew by 59.5% between May 2024 and May 2025, and by 5.2% between April 2025 and May 2025.
Imports of machinery equipment, vehicles and accessories also increased by 20.8% and 18.7% during those respective periods.
Other categories of merchandise imports that recorded significant increments in May 2025 compared to April 2025 and May 2024 included base metals and their products, wood and wood products, petroleum products, and prepared foodstuffs, beverages and tobacco.
Mineral Products (excluding Petroleum products) increased by 50.4% between May 2024 and May 2025, but registered a 7.3% decline between April 2025 and May 2025.
On the other hand, petroleum products registered a major growth of 40.4% between April 2025 and May 2025 and a modest growth of 4.2% between May 2025 and the same month of the previous year.
Origin of imports
During May 2025, the highest amount of Uganda’s imports was from Asia, accounting for 33.1% of the total imports for the month.
This was followed by the East African Community (EAC), which contributed 31.0% of the total imports.
More than half of the imports from the EAC region were from Tanzania in May 2025.
Other notable sources of Uganda’s imports were the rest of Africa and the Middle East, which accounted for 18.7% and 10.1% of the total imports, respectively.