Museveni says Uganda to focus on African markets amid US tariff hike
According to the Office of the US Trade Representative, total goods trade between the United States and Uganda reached 238.9 million US dollars in 2024, with Uganda exporting 132.6 million dollars’ worth of goods to the US and importing 106.3 million dollars.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has said the country will prioritise African markets following the United States' decision to impose a 10 per cent tariff on imports from most countries.
In a speech shared by the state-owned Uganda Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday, Museveni said Uganda already has alternative markets for its exports.
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"Trump has put a tax, what shall we do? You have Africa, work on Africa," Museveni said, emphasising the continent's vast geographic size and large population.
"In the next 30 years, the population of Africa will be the biggest in the world. It will be one quarter of the human race," the president said.
Earlier, Odrek Rwabwogo, chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Exports and Industrial Development, told local media that Uganda is already diversifying its export destinations, with promising prospects in Europe and Asia.
Britain has shown strong demand in the grain and coffee sectors, Rwabwogo said, adding that with Uganda Airlines set to launch flights to the European country this or next month, there are hopes of expanding market access for Ugandan products – not only coffee but also grains and bananas, which are already being exported there.
According to the Office of the US Trade Representative, total goods trade between the United States and Uganda reached 238.9 million US dollars in 2024, with Uganda exporting 132.6 million dollars’ worth of goods to the United States and importing 106.3 million dollars.
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