Coffee entrepreneurs in Uganda believe China's expanded zero-tariff policy for African products could significantly boost Uganda's coffee exports and boost household incomes.
Nelson Tugume, CEO of Inspire Africa Group, which manages the African Coffee Park in Ntungamo District, western Uganda, told Xinhua that China's new policy provides a much more conducive business environment compared to markets that continue to impose high tariffs on African products.
Since 2024, China has implemented a zero-tariff policy for 100 percent of tariff lines for all least developed countries with which it has diplomatic relations, including 53 African countries.
Workers sort coffee bags at the African Coffee Park in Ntungamo, western Uganda.
Tugume said that this policy, combined with increasing demand for coffee from China and uncertainty in major coffee-producing countries, created the right opportunity for Ugandan farmers seeking new and stable markets.
"We have partners in China who have allowed us to go into their factories and learn how these technologies work. For any business that wants to grow, you have to go to a place with a conducive environment," he said, ahead of the release of a shipment of locally produced and processed coffee destined for China.
