Coffee importers and roasters in Guiyang, a city in southwest China, are seeking to buy directly from Ugandan exporters and increase their purchases, in a move aimed at strengthening trade ties and giving Ugandan coffee greater access to the Chinese market.
Lu Yuan, president of the Guiyang Coffee Industry Association, said companies in the city had imported more than 150 tonnes of Ugandan coffee and planned to increase their purchases, citing its quality.
He said the association wanted to establish direct sourcing arrangements, joint marketing initiatives and long-term partnerships between Ugandan exporters and coffee roasters and retailers in Guizhou province, whose capital is Guiyang.
Lu was speaking on Tuesday during a coffee trade promotion and business matching session hosted by the Uganda Consulate General in Guangzhou and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries. The meeting brought together coffee importers, roasters, traders and retailers to explore business opportunities between the two markets.
The Guiyang Coffee Industry Association represents businesses involved in coffee imports, distribution, roasting and retail, including coffee shop operators across Guizhou.
Uganda’s Consul General in Guangzhou, Ambassador Judyth Nsababera, who led the Ugandan delegation, welcomed the interest in direct sourcing and long-term supply arrangements.
She proposed that Ugandan exporters send coffee samples to prospective buyers in Guiyang, while the consulate coordinates further business-to-business meetings to facilitate trade agreements. She also encouraged members of the association to visit Uganda’s coffee-growing regions to learn more about local production and processing.
Nsababera described Uganda as Africa’s leading coffee exporter, noting that its climate supports two harvests a year and enables the production of both Robusta and Arabica varieties with distinct flavour profiles.
She said Uganda was seeking to expand its presence in international markets such as China while placing greater emphasis on value addition and the promotion of its coffee as a product of origin.
According to the consulate, Chinese buyers often source Ugandan coffee through intermediaries in other countries, incorporating it into blends without necessarily identifying Uganda as the country of origin.
The proposed shift towards direct sourcing is intended to create stronger commercial links between Ugandan exporters and Chinese buyers, while opening opportunities for Ugandan coffee to be marketed as single-origin and specialty coffee.
The consulate reported that Uganda’s coffee exports to China grew by 224 per cent in the 2025/26 financial year, highlighting the potential for further expansion in the market.
Yang Liu, deputy director of the Guiyang Foreign Affairs Office, said the city was interested in strengthening commercial relations between its businesses and Ugandan companies.
The Ugandan delegation included Mbale City Mayor Joyce Matuka Kidulu and officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries. Representatives of the Guiyang Foreign Trade Development Group also attended the meeting.
The discussions signal growing interest in closer cooperation between Uganda’s coffee industry and Chinese buyers, with direct purchasing arrangements potentially providing exporters with stronger market access and greater opportunities to promote the origin and quality of their coffee.
