Deputy Speaker of Parliament Thomas Tayebwa has asked Beijing to back Uganda with technical expertise so the country can meet strict export standards and capitalise on China’s duty and quota‑free market window.
“Our biggest challenge remains meeting the required export quality standards,” Tayebwa told a visiting Chinese delegation. “While efforts are underway, we need short‑term technical support from China to raise our products to the right level.”
China recently opened 98 tariff lines to Ugandan goods, but most shipments still fail to meet compliance thresholds. Uganda exported just US$54 million worth of fish, hides, timber, and coffee to China in 2024, against imports of US$1.1 billion, leaving a steep trade gap.
Tayebwa spoke during talks with His Excellency, the Vice‑Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Chairman of the China Zhi Gong Party. Both sides pledged to deepen cooperation and narrow the deficit by boosting Ugandan exports.
Uganda’s trade ministry is drafting a fast‑track programme for laboratory testing, packaging, and certification, but officials say Chinese mentorship and technology transfer will be decisive.
Tayebwa thanked Beijing for its market access gesture, adding, “We want to turn opportunity into volume. Help us meet the standards, and the numbers will follow.”
