Tanzania overtakes Kenya as Uganda’s largest source of imports in Africa

Tanzania has overtaken Kenya as Uganda’s largest source of imports, denoting a shift in trade, especially within Africa. 

Kenya has traditionally been Uganda’s largest trading partner but data indicates that East Africa’s largest economy is now second after Tanzania in terms of Uganda’s largest source of imports from within Africa. 

Data from Bank of Uganda indicates that during the year ended June 2024, Uganda imported goods worth $4.17b from Comesa and the Rest of Africa combined, of which almost half was from Tanzania. 

Uganda, according to data from Uganda Revenue Authority, imports mostly gold, rolled iron or non-alloy steel, groundnuts and carboys, bottles and flasks from Tanzania.

Gold forms more than half of Uganda’s imports from Tanzania. URA data indicates that Uganda imported gold worth Shs1.08 trillion in 2023.

Data indicates that 42.56 percent of Uganda’s imports from within Africa were in the year ended June 2024, sourced from Tanzania, compared to 19.55 percent from Kenya and 6.43 percent from South Africa.

Cote D'Ivoire and Burkina Faso rounded off the list of the top five largest sources of Uganda’s imports in Africa, contributing a percentage value of 5.27 percent and 5 percent, respectively.

The Bank of Uganda further indicates that during the year to June 2024, Uganda spent $1.77b on imports from Tanzania, which was more than triple the $450.46m recorded in the year to June 2023.

Kenya, which for years had been Uganda’s leading source of imports in Africa, is now in second position, with a contribution worth $816.71, which was a slight reduction from $860.71m recorded in the year to June 2023.

Kenya is followed by South Africa with an import bill of $268.8m, an increase from $182.43m, while imports from Cote D'Ivoire and Burkina Faso registered tremendous increases, rising from $14.88m to $220.33m and $50.17m and $208.88m, respectively.

Uganda largely imports cement, rolled iron or non-alloy steel, petroleum oils, scrap, and articles of plastics from Kenya, while from South Africa the country imports mostly pearls, precious stones, metals, coins, vehicles other than railway, tramways, iron and steel, and machinery, nuclear reactors, and boilers. 

While imports from Cote D'Ivoire and Burkina Faso include beauty products, large construction vehicles, soap, and other articles of plastics, respectively.

Outside, Africa, China is the leading source of Uganda’s imports, contributing goods worth $1.93b, a large percentage of which include telephony apparatus, polyether, hot rolled iron, machinery parts, and insecticides, among others.

China is followed by the United Arab Emirates and India, which contribute goods worth $949.55m and $899.85m, respectively.

In terms of region, Asia and the Rest of Africa, which contribute goods worth $4.11b and $3.14b are the leading sources of Uganda’s imports, followed by the Middle East ($1.33b) and Comesa ($1.02b), respectively.

Data further indicates that Uganda imported goods worth $10.78b, which was an increase from the $8.86b registered in the year ended June 2023. 

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