Describes the country's standards landscape, identifies the national standards and accreditation bodies, and lists the main national testing organization(s) and conformity assessment bodies.
Last Published: 7/21/2019

Overview

Uganda's regulatory framework is predominantly  government-driven, although it often involves consultation with stakeholders.  Standards are drafted and enforced by the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS), which is supervised by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.  Uganda is a member of the International Organization for Standardization, the African Regional Organization for Standardization, the East African Standards Committee, COMESA, the FAO/World Health Organization Codex Alimentarius Commission on international Food Standards and WTO.  Local standards are developed through the Uganda Industrial Research Institute.  Priority areas for standards with potentially large procurement opportunities are food and agriculture, mechanical and building engineering, metallurgy, energy management, and ICT.

Standards

The UNBS is charged with developing and checking standards.  UNBS develops some of the standards, but in some cases adopts those developed by others.  UNBS is a member of ISO, CODEX, OIML, and Afrinet.  Uganda applies European Union directives and standards but with modifications.  Importers/exporters should contact the UNBS for specific information on standards.

Testing, inspection and certification

Test certificates from foreign labs are accepted if the lab is UNBS-accredited.  Proposed and final technical regulations and laws are published in the Uganda Gazette (hard copies of which may be purchased at select book stroes in Kampala).  Each government ministry prioritizes its regulations agenda.  For further details, please contact the Uganda National Bureau of Standards.

Publication of Technical Regulations

The UNBS website contains technical regulations
In fulfillment of the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement, UNBS is the designated Technical Barriers to Trade Enquiry Point responsible for answering WTO members and providing all relevant documentation relating to, among other issues, technical regulations and standards adopted by Uganda.

Trade Agreements

Uganda is eligible for AGOA and Generalized System of Preferences trade benefits.  Uganda does not yet have a BIT or FTA with the United States. 

On November 28, 2018, Uganda formally ratified the agreement establishing the Africa comntinental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).  The AfCFTA is the second largest trade area (after the WTO) in terms of member countries  and is expected to become operational by June 2019.

Uganda is a member of the EAC, COMESA and the African Union Abuja agreement.  Duties and tariffs for countries in these groups are significantly lower than duties for non-members.  As part of the EAC, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi , Tanzania, and South Sudan have created an East African Customs Union designed to promote free trade among the six nations.  The United States signed TIFA with the EAC in 2008, and with COMESA in 2001.
 

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