Uganda's exports are dominated by agricultural products and its imports by manufactured goods, a structure established in the colonial era. By 1996, agricultural products accounted for 70% of exports and manufactured products accounted for 73% of imports.[1] Coffee accounts for over 50% of agricultural exports. The trade deficit was $609 million in 1996/97 and continues to grow partly as a result of liberalization of import regulations by the NRM. Exports only covered 47% of imports, down from 70% in 1987.

Uganda's major exports are coffee, tea, gold and gold compounds, fish and fish products, maize, tea, beans, and cotton to Europe, the United States, and Japan. Uganda's largest trading partner is Spain, who accounted for $188 million in trade in 1996.

Uganda imports petroleum and petroleum products, electrical machinery, transport equipment, non-electrical machinery, iron, steel, and manufactured goods from Kenya, the United Kingdom, India, Japan, Germany, France, South Africa, Hong Kong, Italy, and the United States.

Here are 1996 figures on Uganda's principal exports and imports:

Exported Item
	Million in US$	%of total
Coffee	396,206	59.6
Gold & gold compounds	18,403	7.4
Fish & fish products	39,056	5.9
Maize	17,823	2.7
Tea	17,059	2.6
Cotton	15,329	2.3
Imported Item
Petroleum & Machinery	91,792	13.4
Transport equipment	248,546	12.4
Iron & steel	38,469	6.5

Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit. 1998-1999. Country Profile, Uganda . London: The Unit.

1. The Economist Intelligence Unit. 1998-1999. Country Profile, Uganda. London: The Unit.