Uganda seeks Germany trade deal to boost exports and attract investment

What the report says

Uganda is seeking to deepen trade and investment ties with Germany by improving market access for Ugandan goods, expanding value-added exports and drawing in German capital and technology, according to the Nile Post. The proposals were discussed at a meeting in Kampala involving officials from the State House Investors Protection Unit (SHIPU), government agencies and export and investment representatives, alongside Germany’s new ambassador to Uganda, Sigrid Ingelore Luise Sommer.

John Bosco Lweere of SHIPU said Uganda still faces barriers entering the German market and wants to increase shipments of processed products rather than raw materials. He also said Uganda hopes to position itself as a production and distribution base for German firms serving the wider East African market, with free zones presented as one possible entry point for investors.

Lweere proposed a Uganda-Germany Export and Investment Action Plan to help Ugandan companies pursue opportunities in Germany and support German businesses interested in Uganda. He said the Uganda Export Promotion Board could contribute market intelligence, business matchmaking and a pipeline of trade and investment opportunities.

The initiative is meant to lift bilateral trade beyond the current level cited in the report and to support industrialisation through technology transfer and higher-value production. Broadly, the plan reflects Uganda’s wider push to move up the value chain and use export growth to attract foreign investment.