How exporting is regulated
Coffee exports from Uganda are regulated by the Department of Coffee Development within the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF). The former Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA) was merged into the ministry by the National Coffee (Amendment) Act passed in November 2024, with a transition period during which existing licences remain valid and the UCDA's systems and website continue to operate (Parliament of Uganda; Business Focus, 2025).
To export coffee a company must hold an export marketing licence, renewed annually. According to the UCDA export marketing guidelines and the Uganda Trade Portal, the application requires company incorporation documents, directors' identification and tax numbers, a tax clearance certificate, business referees, an undertaking to report monthly, a field inspection and publication in the Gazette; the licensee must post a performance bond equivalent to US$25,000 (a bank guarantee rather than cash) and demonstrate access to a reprocessing (grading) factory capable of producing export grades. Processing takes about a month. Fees and procedures may have been updated since the merger; we state current figures when asked rather than publish ones that may be out of date.
Per-consignment controls
Every export consignment is sampled and inspected by the coffee authority before it leaves. It receives a quality certificate (the pre-shipment inspection result), an ICO certificate of origin issued under the International Coffee Organization system, and a phytosanitary certificate from MAAIF's plant-health inspectorate. The customs export entry is filed by a licensed clearing agent. These documents travel with the commercial invoice, packing list and bill of lading; see the documents page for what each contains.
Market structure
Uganda's exporter base ranges from multinational trading houses and their local subsidiaries, through established Ugandan exporters and cooperative unions, to smaller licensed exporters and origin traders. In December 2025, 85 exporters shipped coffee and the largest ten accounted for 54 percent of volume (MAAIF export report). Most volume goes to European roasters and traders in Italy, Belgium and Germany and to Indian soluble manufacturers; specialty exporters and cooperatives serve roasters in North America, Europe, the UK and Asia with washed Arabica and fine Robusta.
How to verify a Uganda coffee exporter
- Company registration. Ask for the registered legal name and Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) number and check it on the URSB public register.
- Export licence. Ask for the current export marketing licence or the licence number and confirm it with the Department of Coffee Development (MAAIF). Licensed exporters also appear in the ministry's published lists.
- Documents from a real shipment. A genuine exporter can show a redacted quality certificate, ICO certificate of origin and bill of lading from a recent consignment.
- Physical presence. A street address in Uganda, a grading factory relationship (own or contracted) and a named person you can call.
- Samples before money. Evaluate a physical sample and insist on a pre-shipment sample before stuffing; pay by letter of credit or against documents rather than in advance to an unverified party.
- References. Ask for a buyer or a bank reference for an established exporter; for a new one, expect transparency about that.
Where Uganda Coffee Merchants fits
Uganda Coffee Merchants is a Kampala-based green coffee supplier. Every shipment we arrange leaves Uganda under a valid MAAIF export marketing licence and with the per-consignment certificates described above; we provide the registration and licensing details applying to your shipment with our offer, and we publish our company details in the footer of this site as they are confirmed. We are a young company and say so: our credibility rests on specifications you can measure, documents you can check and samples you can cup — not on claims about history.
Frequently asked questions
How many coffee exporters are there in Uganda?
Eighty-five licensed exporters shipped coffee in December 2025, with the ten largest handling 54 percent of volume (MAAIF export report). The number of licensed companies is somewhat higher than the number active in any given month.
Who regulates coffee exports in Uganda?
The Department of Coffee Development within the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries (MAAIF), which absorbed the Uganda Coffee Development Authority under the National Coffee (Amendment) Act of November 2024.
What licence does a Uganda coffee exporter need?
An annual export marketing licence from MAAIF's Department of Coffee Development, backed by a performance bond equivalent to US$25,000 and evidence of access to an export grading factory, with monthly reporting obligations.
How can I check if a Uganda coffee exporter is legitimate?
Check the company on the URSB register, confirm the export licence with MAAIF, ask for redacted documents from a real shipment, confirm a physical address and grading-factory relationship, and evaluate samples before paying — using a letter of credit or documents against payment for the first shipment.
Is Uganda Coffee Merchants a licensed exporter?
We provide the registration and export licensing details that apply to your shipment together with our offer, and we publish confirmed company details in the site footer. Ask us and we will send them.