Uganda: sanctions and trade risk

No elevated indicator

As of 7 November 2026, the screened UN, EU, UK, Swiss and US sanctions lists contain 16 companies, organisations, vessels and aircraft linked to Uganda.Lists last checked 2026-11-07 21:01 UTC.

Logistics profile: ports, airports, customs, documents, holidays, news ↓

No elevated country indicator for Uganda in the route rules Sanctioni uses. That is not a clearance: goods may still be export-controlled, and parties in Uganda may still be on a list.

Check a shipment to Uganda →

On the sanctions lists

16 entries on the official lists name Uganda — as nationality, address, registration or flag. That links them to the country; it says nothing about other companies there. The same company can appear on several lists and is then counted once per list. Individuals are not included — Sanctioni does not process them.

List	Entries	Companies & organisations	Vessels	Aircraft
US OFAC — Specially Designated Nationals (SDN)	6	6	—	—
Switzerland SECO Consolidated Sanctions List	4	4	—	—
EU Consolidated Financial Sanctions List (FSF)	2	2	—	—
UK Sanctions List (FCDO)	2	2	—	—
UN Security Council Consolidated List	2	2	—	—

Latest changes

No new listings or removals naming Uganda recorded yet.

All updates →

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Logistics profile

Uganda: logistics and trade

Landlocked / East African transit hub

Uganda (ISO code: UG) is a landlocked country in East Africa bordering Kenya, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania. It is a presidential republic with a centralised administration. The climate is tropical with two rainy seasons (March to May and September to November). The economy rests on agriculture, mining, energy and services, with coffee, tea, cotton and increasingly crude oil playing central roles. Uganda exports mainly agricultural produce, minerals and gold while relying on imports of machinery, vehicles, petroleum products and consumer goods. As a landlocked EAC member it depends on the ports of Mombasa (Northern Corridor) and Dar es Salaam (Central Corridor), served by road, metre-gauge rail, Lake Victoria inland shipping and Entebbe International Airport. Major infrastructure projects include the EACOP crude oil pipeline to Tanga and a planned standard gauge railway. The currency is the Uganda Shilling (UGX).

Capital: Kampala
Population: 45,905,417
Area: 241,038 km²
Currency: Ugandan shilling (UGX)
Continent: Africa
Region: East Africa
Economic area: EAC / COMESA
Religions: Christianity, Islam
Access to the sea: Landlocked

Transport modes Road · Rail · Air · Inland waterway · Pipeline

Current situation: EACOP pipeline to Tanga (first exports expected for October 2026), planned SGR Malaba-Kampala and growing competition between the northern and central corridors.
Seasonal conditions: Two rainy seasons (March to May and September to November) can delay road transport; dry periods in between.

Main cargo airports

Entebbe International AirportEBB
Entebbe (EBB) on Lake Victoria: Uganda's sole air cargo gateway, 69,595 t in 2025, Nile perch and flowers, handlers Fresh Handling, Menzies, NAS.

Road corridors

Northern corridor Mombasa-Malaba-Kampala
Central corridor Dar es Salaam-Kampala
Kampala-Elegu-Juba (South Sudan)

Rail corridors

Uganda Railways metre-gauge Kampala-Tororo-Malaba
planned Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Malaba-Kampala

Inland ports

Port Bell (Kampala)
Jinja
Tororo Inland Container Depot

Main trade lanes

Mombasa-Kampala
Dar es Salaam-Kampala
Kampala-Juba

Customs and import

Customs authority Uganda Revenue Authority (URA)Official website ↗

Import customs system: ASYCUDA World with Single Administrative Document (SAD) via the URA; EAC customs union with Common External Tariff (bands 0/10/25 percent, sensitive list up to 35 percent).
Export customs system: Export clearance via URA in ASYCUDA World (SAD); EAC and COMESA rules of origin, AfCFTA. Coffee and gold exports are officially regulated.
Import VAT: 18 percent standard rate (URA)
Proofs of origin and trade agreements: EAC and COMESA certificates of origin, AfCFTA; as an LDC, EU preferences under Everything But Arms (EBA).
Restricted and prohibited goods: Prohibitions and restrictions, including for weapons and certain agricultural and used goods; import ban on used vehicles older than 15 years.

Typical import documents

Commercial invoice
Packing list
Bill of Lading / Airway Bill
Certificate of origin
Import customs declaration (SAD)

Typical export documents

Commercial invoice
Packing list
EAC/COMESA certificate of origin
Export customs declaration (SAD)
Phytosanitary certificate, if required

Logistics conditions

Customs complexity: Medium to high
Customs delays: Medium to high
Dangerous goods relevance: Medium
Pharma and cold chain relevance: Medium

Trade

Top import partners

China Kenya India United Arab Emirates Tanzania

Top export partners

Kenya United Arab Emirates South Sudan Congo, Democratic Republic of the Italy

Top import goods

Petroleum products
Machinery
Vehicles
Chemicals
Consumer goods

Top export goods

Gold
Coffee
Fish
Flowers
Agricultural products

Typical cargo

Coffee
Tea
Gold
Fish
Flowers
Petroleum products
Machinery
Vehicles

Logistics questions

Is Uganda landlocked and how does cargo reach the country?

Yes, Uganda has no seaport of its own. Cargo moves through the ports of Mombasa (northern corridor) and Dar es Salaam (central corridor), as well as by air freight via Entebbe.

Which customs authority is responsible in Uganda?

The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) handles customs clearance through ASYCUDA World with the Single Administrative Document (SAD).

What is the import VAT rate in Uganda?

The standard VAT rate is 18 percent and is levied by the URA on imports.

What import duties apply in Uganda?

As an EAC member, Uganda applies the Common External Tariff: 0 percent on raw materials, 10 percent on intermediate goods, 25 percent on finished goods and up to 35 percent on goods on the sensitive list.

What free trade benefits does Uganda offer?

Uganda is a member of the EAC customs union and of COMESA, and is part of the AfCFTA. As an LDC, it also benefits from EU preferences under Everything But Arms.

Which types of freight are typical for Uganda?

Mainly coffee, tea, gold, fish and flowers are exported; machinery, vehicles, petroleum products and consumer goods are imported.

Which infrastructure projects are changing Uganda's logistics?

The EACOP crude oil pipeline to Tanga (first exports expected for October 2026) and the planned Standard Gauge Railway Malaba-Kampala are expected to reduce transport costs and transit times.

Full logistics profile on Freight Academy ↗