Uganda has taken a significant stride in expanding its coffee market reach across Asia, following new trade and branding partnerships forged during the 2025 China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai.
The Ugandan delegation, supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), participated in the global trade showcase with a strong focus on promoting Uganda’s premium coffee as a global brand.
Leading coffee exporters, including Meg Rai Coffee, Kwezi Coffee, Inspire Africa and Elgon Coffee, represented Uganda at the event.
The companies exhibited a wide range of products—from green and roasted coffee to dried fruits and nuts—drawing keen attention from both commercial and retail buyers across the Asian market.
At Uganda’s national pavilion, the country promoted its exports under the“Agriculture–Tourism–Prosperity” theme, highlighting the synergy between the agricultural sector, tourism and economic transformation.
The exhibition space became a center of attraction for coffee lovers and potential investors as delegates held productive business engagements with Chinese buyers, roasters, traders and logistics companies exploring opportunities to source high-quality Ugandan coffee and other agricultural commodities.
In a major development, MAAIF signed a partnership agreement with Cotti Coffee, one of China’s fastest-growing coffee retail brands with over 7,500 outlets operating across 28 countries.
The agreement aims to promote Ugandan coffee throughout Cotti Coffee’s global network, while fostering collaboration in training, research and technology transfer to strengthen local coffee farming and processing capacity.
According to MAAIF officials, the partnership establishes a long-term framework to enhance market access, brand visibility and value addition, directly linking Ugandan coffee producers with Chinese consumers.
It also provides for initiatives such as farmer training, improved post-harvest handling, modern agro-processing and investment in facilities that ensure consistent product quality.
The Ministry revealed that Uganda’s coffee exports to China have surged by 190 percent in 2025, reflecting a remarkable increase in demand for Ugandan beans and growing recognition of the country’s coffee quality within Asian markets.
Uganda’s pavilion was among the most vibrant in the agricultural section of the Shanghai Expo, featuring live demonstrations, coffee-tasting sessions and business networking activities with importers, distributors and café owners from across Asia.
Delegates from Uganda also took part in high-level seminars and forums focusing on agricultural innovation, sustainable trade, digital commerce and global value chains.
Officials noted that the expo’s success aligns with Uganda’s broader vision of leveraging agriculture and tourism as twin engines for economic growth under the Nurturing Agriculture and Enriching Tourism pillars.
They emphasized that promoting coffee and other agro-products on the global stage not only enhances Uganda’s export revenue but also deepens bilateral trade relations, fosters cultural exchange and empowers local farmers through access to premium markets.
The Shanghai expo thus marked a defining moment in Uganda’s quest to position its coffee as a world-class product—rooted in quality, sustainability and innovation—while strengthening the nation’s strategic economic partnerships across Asia.
