Xiamen, China – Uganda strengthened its Economic and Commercial Diplomacy agenda at the 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) in Xiamen, using one of China’s major international investment platforms to pursue new opportunities in trade, investment, science, technology and innovation (STI).
Held from 8–11 September 2026, CIFIT brought together more than 1,200 government agencies and business delegations from 129 countries and regions, alongside 30 international organisations. The exhibition area expanded to approximately 200,000 square metres, reflecting the growing emphasis on investment promotion, technology, green development and international project matchmaking.
Uganda’s participation generated expressions of interest from Chinese companies seeking investment opportunities in Uganda and exploring the importation of Ugandan products, particularly coffee. The engagements are significant against the backdrop of expanding Uganda-China economic relations. Bilateral trade between the two countries reached approximately US$2.1 billion in 2025, representing a reported 43.5 percent increase, with Ugandan exports increasingly supported by coffee, fish and chilli.
Coffee provides a particularly important opportunity for expanding Uganda’s presence in the Chinese market. Uganda’s coffee exports have recorded strong growth in recent years, while China has emerged as an increasingly important destination. MAAIF statistics indicate that China accounted for 7 percent of Uganda’s coffee exports, while UCDA data for December 2025 placed China among the leading destinations, with a 4.64 percent share that month.
The opportunity is reinforced by Uganda’s broader coffee export performance. In the 12 months to August 2025, Uganda exported 7.93 million 60-kilogramme bags valued at US$2.24 billion, demonstrating the scale of the commodity’s contribution to the national export economy. Beyond trade promotion, Uganda’s STI Partnership and Foreign Direct Investment Mission held engagements with Xiamen University, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), Xiamen Information Group, the BRICS Industrial Cooperation and Go-Global Comprehensive Service Hub, and the China-BRICS Science and Innovation Incubation Park.
The discussions explored technology transfer, technical training, research and academic exchanges, innovation development and commercialisation of Ugandan technologies and products. Such partnerships could support Uganda’s efforts to strengthen industrial capacity and move beyond commodity exports towards greater value addition and knowledge-based production. Chinese investment is already an important component of Uganda’s investment landscape. The Uganda Investment Authority estimated Chinese investments in Uganda at around US$1 billion in 2025, covering agriculture, manufacturing, oil and gas, infrastructure and industrial park development.
The Consulate General of Uganda in Guangzhou will follow up the CIFIT leads, with the objective of converting expressions of interest into concrete trade transactions, investment projects and institutional partnerships. Uganda’s CIFIT engagement therefore illustrates the practical role of diplomatic missions in advancing national development priorities connecting foreign markets, investors, technology institutions and businesses with opportunities at home, while strengthening Uganda-China economic relations through sustained and results-oriented engagement.
