Overview:
Trade between Uganda and the DR Congo surged 29 percent last year. Officials now move to digitize customs and remove travel hurdles to sustain the economic boom.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has emerged as Uganda’s largest African export market, with total trade between the two nations nearing $1 billion in the last financial year. The figures were released following a high-level summit at the Mpondwe/Kasindi border post, where officials from both countries agreed to integrate customs systems and move toward a more formalised economic partnership.
According to data from the Bank of Uganda, formal exports to the DRC surged by 29 percent year-on-year to $542.74 million in the 2024-2025 period. However, when informal cross-border trade is included, that figure rises to $962.2 million. The growth in commerce follows the DRC’s accession to the East African Community in 2022, a move that lowered trade barriers and encouraged regional integration. Uganda’s export portfolio to its western neighbour is now dominated by manufactured goods, including sugar, steel, plastics and agricultural commodities.
Farid Kaliisa, Uganda’s ambassador to the DRC, told the summit that the country is now the top destination for Ugandan products on the continent. Divisional Commissioner Karawa de Ngamo Louis Segond, the vice-governor of North Kivu province, said Uganda has become a significant source for essential commodities used in the eastern DRC, as well as a major conduit for the country’s wider imports and exports.
Despite the record trade figures, businesses still face significant hurdles at the frontier. To address this, technical officials have been directed to operationalise a Joint Border Operations Committee by May 2026. The committee’s mandate includes the digital integration of customs systems to reduce paperwork and the strengthening of the One Stop Border Post at Mpondwe to improve the flow of heavy goods vehicles.
Uganda is also pressing the DRC to implement reciprocal visa-free entry for its nationals to further ease the movement of labour and services. Uganda already removed visa requirements for Congolese citizens in January 2024.
The summit also addressed the management of shared resources, with both nations adopting a roadmap for the Lakes Edward and Albert Fisheries and Aquatic Organization. This includes investment in modern surveillance equipment to manage shared fishing waters and protect the regional ecosystem.
Security coordination between the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces and the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo was highlighted as a key factor in protecting these burgeoning trade routes. Officials noted that joint military efforts have improved the safety of the corridor, which is essential for the movement of construction materials and agricultural produce.
The talks, held under the theme “Borders as bridges,” align with previous agreements made at the 2025 Uganda-DRC Business Connect Forum as the two nations look to turn a historically volatile border into a permanent commercial gateway.