Summary
- Exports
- $8.7billion
- Imports
- $14.1billion
- Trade balance
- -$5.4billion
Products
What it exports
Gold (48.2%) and coffee (15.6%) together make up 63.8% of its exports.
What it imports
Gold (23.2%) and refined petroleum (14.8%) together make up 38% of its imports.
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $4.2 billion | $3.3 billion |
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $1.4 billion | $8 million |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $411 million | $5 million |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $164 million | $81 million |
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $161 million | $2.2 billion |
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $153 million | $12 million |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $151 million | $614 million |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $142 million | $9 million |
| 07 · Vegetables | $118 million | $69 million |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $118 million | $45 million |
| 44 · Wood | $114 million | $11 million |
| 87 · Vehicles | $112 million | $878 million |
| 24 · Tobacco | $99 million | $14 million |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $96 million | $188 million |
| 06 · Live plants and flowers | $94 million | $787 thousand |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $84 million | $15 million |
| 15 · Fats and oils | $82 million | $424 million |
| 10 · Cereals | $75 million | $480 million |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $72 million | $1.2 billion |
| 69 · Ceramics | $70 million | $58 million |
| 39 · Plastics | $63 million | $699 million |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $63 million | $56 million |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $53 million | $238 million |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $48 million | $132 million |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $43 million | $6 million |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $43 million | $14 million |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $40 million | $172 million |
| 40 · Rubber | $33 million | $105 million |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $32 million | $360 million |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $31 million | $70 million |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $28 million | $211 million |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $22 million | $68 million |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $22 million | $650 million |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $20 million | $176 million |
| 52 · Cotton | $19 million | $7 million |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $18 million | $21 million |
| 01 · Live animals | $18 million | $19 million |
| 76 · Aluminum | $16 million | $59 million |
| 21 · Food preparations | $14 million | $63 million |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $14 million | $47 million |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $13 million | $86 million |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $11 million | $70 million |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $10 million | $17 million |
| 41 · Hides and leather | $10 million | $1 million |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $10 million | $134 million |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $9 million | $73 million |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $8 million | $4 million |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $8 million | $28 million |
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $7 million | $166 million |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $6 million | $2 million |
| 55 · Synthetic staple fibers | $5 million | $59 million |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $5 million | $30 million |
| 64 · Footwear | $5 million | $61 million |
| 05 · Other animal products | $5 million | $185 thousand |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $4 million | $10 million |
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $3 million | $52 million |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $3 million | $32 million |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $3 million | $926 thousand |
| 80 · Tin | $3 million | $232 thousand |
| 53 · Other plant fibers | $2 million | $580 thousand |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $2 million | $15 million |
| 54 · Synthetic filaments | $2 million | $53 million |
| 67 · Feathers and artificial flowers | $2 million | $10 million |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $2 million | $17 million |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $2 million | $64 million |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $2 million | $64 million |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $1 million | $18 million |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $1 million | $136 million |
| 97 · Art and antiques | $1 million | $354 thousand |
| 46 · Wicker and basketware | $1 million | $296 thousand |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $1 million | $21 million |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $892 thousand | $9 million |
| 74 · Copper | $868 thousand | $16 million |
| 70 · Glass | $612 thousand | $49 million |
| 14 · Other plant products | $596 thousand | $17 thousand |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $533 thousand | $4 million |
| 79 · Zinc | $487 thousand | $12 million |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $438 thousand | $11 million |
| 60 · Knitted fabric | $340 thousand | $5 million |
| 65 · Hats | $164 thousand | $5 million |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $134 thousand | $11 million |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $92 thousand | $5 million |
| 66 · Umbrellas and canes | $89 thousand | $2 million |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $68 thousand | $2 million |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $65 thousand | $2 million |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $53 thousand | $3 million |
| 78 · Lead | $53 thousand | $761 thousand |
| 89 · Ships and boats | $46 thousand | $4 million |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $44 thousand | $17 million |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $29 thousand | $975 thousand |
| 81 · Other base metals | $17 thousand | $440 thousand |
| 43 · Fur and fur goods | $13 thousand | $4 thousand |
| 50 · Silk | $5 thousand | $4 thousand |
| 51 · Wool | $4 thousand | $71 thousand |
| 45 · Cork | $133 | $16 thousand |
| 75 · Nickel | $0 | $359 thousand |
Trading partners
Its main destination is the United Arab Emirates (29.9% of exports) and its main source is China (19.5% of imports).
Who it sells to
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | 2.6 | 29.9% | Air |
| Hong Kong | 1 | 11.8% | Air |
| India | 0.82 | 9.3% | Air |
| South Sudan | 0.49 | 5.6% | Land |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 0.48 | 5.5% | Land |
| Kenya | 0.44 | 5% | Land |
| Italy | 0.4 | 4.6% | Sea |
| Rwanda | 0.27 | 3.1% | Land |
| Germany | 0.25 | 2.8% | Sea |
| Netherlands | 0.21 | 2.4% | Sea |
Who it buys from
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 2.7 | 19.5% | Sea |
| Tanzania | 1.7 | 12.1% | Land |
| United Arab Emirates | 1.3 | 9.2% | Sea |
| India | 1.3 | 9% | Sea |
| Kenya | 0.86 | 6.1% | Land |
| South Africa | 0.57 | 4% | Air |
| Japan | 0.46 | 3.3% | Sea |
| Burkina Faso | 0.43 | 3.1% | Air |
| Mali | 0.36 | 2.6% | Air |
| Mozambique | 0.36 | 2.5% | Air |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, Uganda accounted for 0.04% of world exports, compared with 0.02% in 1995.
Exports and imports
Exports grew 11-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 8.7
- Imports 14.1
- Balance -5.4
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $780 million | $1.2 billion | -$392 million |
| 1996 | $1 billion | $1.1 billion | -$40 million |
| 1997 | $799 million | $977 million | -$178 million |
| 1998 | $727 million | $1.2 billion | -$522 million |
| 1999 | $749 million | $1.1 billion | -$389 million |
| 2000 | $582 million | $1.1 billion | -$488 million |
| 2001 | $578 million | $1.1 billion | -$551 million |
| 2002 | $643 million | $1.2 billion | -$588 million |
| 2003 | $710 million | $1.5 billion | -$832 million |
| 2004 | $875 million | $2 billion | -$1.1 billion |
| 2005 | $1.1 billion | $2.2 billion | -$1.2 billion |
| 2006 | $1.1 billion | $2.8 billion | -$1.7 billion |
| 2007 | $1.6 billion | $3.7 billion | -$2.1 billion |
| 2008 | $2 billion | $4.7 billion | -$2.7 billion |
| 2009 | $1.8 billion | $4.5 billion | -$2.6 billion |
| 2010 | $1.8 billion | $4.9 billion | -$3.1 billion |
| 2011 | $2.4 billion | $6 billion | -$3.6 billion |
| 2012 | $2.6 billion | $6.1 billion | -$3.4 billion |
| 2013 | $2.5 billion | $6.1 billion | -$3.5 billion |
| 2014 | $2.3 billion | $6.3 billion | -$4 billion |
| 2015 | $2.3 billion | $5.9 billion | -$3.6 billion |
| 2016 | $2.8 billion | $5.2 billion | -$2.4 billion |
| 2017 | $3.4 billion | $6.2 billion | -$2.9 billion |
| 2018 | $4.3 billion | $7.2 billion | -$2.9 billion |
| 2019 | $5.4 billion | $8.2 billion | -$2.8 billion |
| 2020 | $5.8 billion | $8.9 billion | -$3.1 billion |
| 2021 | $5.6 billion | $9.6 billion | -$4 billion |
| 2022 | $5.5 billion | $9.8 billion | -$4.3 billion |
| 2023 | $7.1 billion | $12.2 billion | -$5.1 billion |
| 2024 | $8.7 billion | $14.1 billion | -$5.4 billion |
World rank
Uganda rose from 116th to 111th among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 116th in 1995
- 111th in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 116th |
| 1996 | 115th |
| 1997 | 124th |
| 1998 | 125th |
| 1999 | 126th |
| 2000 | 145th |
| 2001 | 142nd |
| 2002 | 139th |
| 2003 | 145th |
| 2004 | 143rd |
| 2005 | 142nd |
| 2006 | 144th |
| 2007 | 138th |
| 2008 | 139th |
| 2009 | 133rd |
| 2010 | 138th |
| 2011 | 137th |
| 2012 | 136th |
| 2013 | 139th |
| 2014 | 142nd |
| 2015 | 136th |
| 2016 | 130th |
| 2017 | 127th |
| 2018 | 126th |
| 2019 | 118th |
| 2020 | 113th |
| 2021 | 121st |
| 2022 | 125th |
| 2023 | 118th |
| 2024 | 111th |
What it sells
Gems and precious metals became its top export group: from 4% to 48%
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 22%
- Milling products and malt 2%
- Iron and steel 2%
- Fish and seafood 2%
- Oil, gas and coal 2%
- Sugar and sweets 2%
- Cocoa and chocolate 5%
- Coffee, tea and spices 16%
- Gems and precious metals 48%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Gems and precious metals | 3.6% | 48.2% |
| Coffee, tea and spices | 72.2% | 16.2% |
| Cocoa and chocolate | 0.14% | 4.7% |
| Sugar and sweets | 0.05% | 1.9% |
| Oil, gas and coal | 0.06% | 1.8% |
| Fish and seafood | 4.6% | 1.8% |
| Iron and steel | 0.36% | 1.7% |
| Milling products and malt | 0.48% | 1.6% |
| Other | 18.5% | 22.1% |
Who it trades with
The United Arab Emirates went from 3% to 17% of Uganda's trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- United Arab Emirates 17%
- China 12%
- India 9%
- Tanzania 8%
- Kenya 6%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| United Arab Emirates | 3.2% | 17.1% |
| China | 1.2% | 12.5% |
| India | 3.6% | 9.1% |
| Tanzania | 0.7% | 8.1% |
| Kenya | 11.8% | 5.7% |
Production hubs
Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)
No hubs above the globe threshold.
View on the globeSources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- Climate TRACE · CC BY 4.0 (emissions by asset; the 3 largest per country are shown)
- Kummu et al., gridded GDP · CC BY 4.0 (hubs aggregated by this site)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
Methodology
Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Ranks are computed among the countries with data each year. Services are not included. Data up to 2024.