The East African Community (EAC) offers a large market for trade in merchandise and services. With a population of about 283.7 million consumers alongside millions of others from inter-regional trade with other African blocs.  The EAC total trade increased by 13.4 percent to US$74,030.9 million in 2022 from US$65,268.9 million in 2021.  EAC total exports to the rest of the world (RoW) were valued at US$20,139.4 million and EAC total imports from the RoW amounted to US$53,891.48 million thereby recording and EAC recorded a trade deficit of negative US$33752.1 million in 2022. Total Intra-EAC trade grew by 11.2 percent to US$10,910.9 million in 2022 from US$9,810.4 million in xiii 2021, whereas the percentage share of Intra-EAC trade to EAC total trade stood at 15 percent in 2022.

Uganda’s total trade with the RoW increased by 2.1 percent to US$13,323.7 million in 2022 from US$13,051.35 million in 2021. However, Uganda’s trade deficit widened by 20.6 percent to negative US$6,175.4 million in 2022 from negative US$5,120.7 million in 2021.

Uganda’s total exports to EAC Partner States improved by 27 percent to US$1,943.5 million in 2022 from US$1,532 million in 2021. In 2022 most of Uganda’s exports with a value of US$605.9 million were transferred to South Sudan, followed by Kenya at US$601.2 million, Congo DR at US$422.3 million. Uganda’s exports to Partner States consisted of; sugar, edible oil, maize, beans, eggs, fish, cement, iron and steel, beer, live animals, petroleum products, pharmaceuticals and household consumer products. The increase in exports was partly attributed to improved weather conditions that resulted in bumper harvests of agricultural commodities and value addition on the agricultural commodities; and increased manufacturing of manufactures.

For more insights about the report:

https://www.eac.int/trade/trade-documents/category/trade-investment-reports