Middle East still Uganda’s biggest market for exports
Almost all the exports to this region (98.4%) during the month were to the United Arab Emirates, according to the finance ministry's June performance of the economy report.
Finance minister Matia Kasaija
By Umar Kashaka
Journalists @New Vision
KAMPALA - The Middle East in May 2025 remained the biggest market for Uganda’s exports, accounting for 34.4% of the total merchandise exported during the month.
Almost all the exports to this region (98.4%) during the month were to the United Arab Emirates, according to the finance ministry's June performance of the economy report.
The East African Community (EAC) also remains an important export destination, having taken 25% of Uganda’s exports during the month.
Of the total exports to the EAC, 20.4% was through informal cross-border trade, which is trade between neighbouring countries conducted by vulnerable, small, unregistered traders.
Other notable importers of Ugandan goods in May 2025 included the European Union and Asia, which accounted for 19.1% and 15.5%, respectively.
As part of the efforts to increase access to Uganda’s products to international markets, the government dispatched the inaugural exports of coffee and milk to Serbia and Algeria, respectively.
Milk exports to Algeria have the potential to fetch Uganda export earnings worth $500 million, according to finance minister Matia Kasaija.
The Government has allocated a total of sh1.86 trillion for the next financial year towards deepening agro-industrialisation.