Trade minister Mbadi asks Ugandans to utilise trade opportunities in Japan

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The state minister for trade, Gen. Wilson Mbadi, yesterday (Thursday, June 19, 2025), toured the Uganda pavilion in the ongoing global trade expo in Osaka city in Japan.

The Uganda pavilion entails various information and samples of the various key exports of Uganda, videos on how Uganda is exceptionally endowed as a unique tourism destination, information on investment opportunities in Uganda, and videos that entail the uniqueness of Uganda.

Noting that Japan is a big economy of $4.2 trillion with a population of over 123 million people, the minister implored the Uganda business community to harness the enormous trade opportunities Japan offers.

“We are here to market our good products to the Japanese, like our coffee, tea, fruits, and other products. We are also here to promote the enormous investment opportunities in Uganda, which the Japanese investors need to harness,” the minister said while touring the Uganda pavilion.

The minister said that since Japan has a vibrant manufacturing sector, the Ugandan government is optimistic that Japanese investors will increasingly come to Uganda and establish investments.

“We are here to tell the Japanese that the Ugandan Government offers so many incentives to investors, including free land, tax exemptions, and a special lower power tariff of 5 US cents per kilowatt hour. Many studies have established that Uganda has one of the highest returns on investment of 14%,” the minister stated.

The Uganda Ambassador to Japan, Her Excellency Tophace Kaahwa, said the Uganda-Japan Trade and Investment Forum is a golden opportunity for Uganda to promote its products to Japan and to also attract Japanese investors and tourists to Uganda.

"Uganda is less known in Japan. We want to use such events to aggressively market our good products, like our organic agricultural products."

Ambassador Kaahwa said the Ugandan government will increasingly undertake all the necessary undertakings to reduce the big trade deficit Uganda has with Japan.

"Whereas we import goods worth $450m from Japan, Uganda's exports to Japan are only $21m. We buy so many cars and other manufactured products from Japan, but what we export there is very little," Ambassador Kaahwa stated.

She said during such engagements, they will ask officials from Japan to advise them and guide them on what needs to be done to increase Uganda's exports to Japan and to increase Japanese tourists and investors coming to Uganda.

Dr Hez Kimoomi Alinda, the Executive Director of Uganda Free Zones and Export Promotions Authority (UFZEPA), said, “Our participation in the expo and the inaugural Uganda-Japan Trade and Investment Forum aim to deepen bilateral trade relations and foster private sector partnerships between the two nations. We are bringing together senior government officials, business leaders, and investors from both Uganda and Japan for strategic dialogue, presentations, and networking opportunities.”

Alinda implored Ugandans to spare no effort in ensuring they utilise the trade opportunities Japan offers to Uganda.

“The whole world is here in Japan, showcasing what they can offer. We are here to market our tourism and exports. Japan is a big economy of $4.2 billion, with so many opportunities we need to harness. We want to expose our manufacturers to global supply chains and other requirements to access markets,” Alinda said.

Uganda and Japan will today (Thursday) hold a high-profile Trade and Investment Forum on June 19, 2025, at The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka, as part of its official program at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.

The Forum, themed “Boosting Trade and Investment between Uganda and Japan,” is jointly organised by the Uganda Free Zones and Export Promotions Authority (UFZEPA), Uganda’s Embassy in Tokyo and the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Alinda revealed that discussions will focus on investment opportunities in Uganda’s priority sectors, including agro-processing, manufacturing, ICT, and tourism.

“A key highlight of the event will be the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UFZEPA and the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The MoU will formalise cooperation in promoting trade, investment, and knowledge exchange to open new doors for industrial partnerships and export growth,” Alinda explained.

Uganda’s participation at Expo 2025 is under the sub-theme of Empowering Lives”, aligned with the Expo’s broader theme of Designing Future Society for Our Lives.” The Forum marks a significant step in Uganda’s strategy to attract Japanese investment, enhance exports, and promote the country as a gateway to Africa.

Afterwards, the minister and his delegation from Uganda visited Lucua market, a very expansive and densely populated market in Osaka, where there is a pavilion with Uganda trade and tourism products.

Tim Kibira, a Ugandan who has lived in Japan for over 30 years who is the manager of the Lucua market pavilion, told the minister that there are so many Ugandans living and working in Japan who even speak Japanese who would be very fundamental in complementing Uganda Government efforts to promote exports to Japan and to attract more Japanese tourists and investors to Uganda.