Business
Uganda’s exports up by 10.1% year-on-year
The growth in export earnings was primarily driven by higher receipts from gold, maize, flowers, oil re-exports, beer, cocoa beans, cement, electricity, among others.
On a year-on-year basis, Uganda’s merchandise exports increased by 10.1%, rising from $1,274.28 million in July 2025 to $1,402.56 million in July 2026. (File photo)
By: Umaru Kashaka, Journalist @New Vision
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On a year-on-year basis, Uganda’s merchandise exports increased by 10.1%, rising from $1,274.28 million in July 2025 to $1,402.56 million in July 2026, representing an increase of $128.28 million.
This is according to the Ministry of Finance’s performance of the economy report for August 2026.
The growth in export earnings was primarily driven by higher receipts from gold, maize, flowers, oil re-exports, beer, cocoa beans, cement, electricity, among others.
On a month-on-month basis, total merchandise export earnings increased by 8.9%, from $1,287.44 million in June 2026 to $1,402.56 million in July 2026.
The increase was mainly driven by higher earnings from coffee, gold, maize, oil re-exports, cocoa beans and sugar, among others.
Earnings from gold exports increased by 35.0%, from $584.18 million in July 2025 to $788.45 million in July 2026.
The increase was driven by higher export volumes and an increase in international gold prices. The rise in global gold prices was partly attributed to increased demand for gold as a safe haven amid heightened global geopolitical tensions.
Coffee earnings decline
Earnings from gold exports increased by 35.0%, from $584.18 million in July 2025 to $788.45 million in July 2026.
The increase was driven by higher export volumes and an increase in international gold prices. The rise in global gold prices was partly attributed to increased demand for gold as a safe haven amid heightened global geopolitical tensions.
Coffee earnings decline
The report, however, indicates that coffee export earnings declined by 18.2% on a year-on-year basis, from $250.60 million in July 2025 to $204.94 million in July 2026.
The decline was attributed to lower international coffee prices and a reduction in export volumes.
The coffee export price declined from $4.20 per kilogram in July 2025 to $4.03 per kilogram in July 2026, partly reflecting increased production from Brazil and Vietnam. Similarly, the volume of coffee exports declined from 995,211 60-kilogram bags to 846,686 bags over the same period.
Despite the year-on-year decline, coffee export earnings increased by 16.8% on a month-on-month basis, from $175.47 million in June 2026 to $204.94 million in July 2026.
The increase was supported by an improvement in both the export price and the quantity of coffee exported.
Italy remained the leading destination for Uganda’s coffee exports, accounting for 29.3% of total coffee export receipts. It was followed by Sudan (15.1%), Germany (10.7%), Morocco (5.9%) and India (4.1%).
The decline was attributed to lower international coffee prices and a reduction in export volumes.
The coffee export price declined from $4.20 per kilogram in July 2025 to $4.03 per kilogram in July 2026, partly reflecting increased production from Brazil and Vietnam. Similarly, the volume of coffee exports declined from 995,211 60-kilogram bags to 846,686 bags over the same period.
Despite the year-on-year decline, coffee export earnings increased by 16.8% on a month-on-month basis, from $175.47 million in June 2026 to $204.94 million in July 2026.
The increase was supported by an improvement in both the export price and the quantity of coffee exported.
Italy remained the leading destination for Uganda’s coffee exports, accounting for 29.3% of total coffee export receipts. It was followed by Sudan (15.1%), Germany (10.7%), Morocco (5.9%) and India (4.1%).