Uganda Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in uganda, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
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Trade Barriers
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Bureaucratic inefficiencies, high transport costs, corruption, and an influx of counterfeit consumer products increase costs for foreign businesses. The URA imposes an environmental levy on vehicles older than eight years and in 2018 the government enacted a ban on importing cars older than 15 years from manufacture date. In recent years, Uganda has phased out import bans on beer, soda, batteries, and cigarettes. Importing beef, chicken, and dairy products into Uganda involves lengthy paperwork and slow processing— representing essentially a de-facto ban on the import of these products. The government has also effectively banned the import of edible and non-edible GMOs. Foreign land ownership is proscribed under the law. In addition, the government bans the export of raw materials from the country, including the agriculture and minerals sectors, as part of its efforts to increase value addition and growth. Laws regulating the petroleum sector include “national content” provisions that require contractors to employ a certain percentage of Ugandans and prioritize the use of local goods and services. Uganda has tariffs on basic foodstuff imports on finished products including flour, sugar, and food-grade oils. For detailed information on Uganda’s tariff schedule, please go to: World Trade Organization - Uganda and the WTO.

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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