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President Yoweri Museveni has conveyed a message to President Donald Trump regarding trade policies affecting African nations.
Speaking at the 8th African Leadership Forum in Munyonyo, Museveni expressed concerns about the disparities in trade relationships between African countries and developed nations, particularly concerning the export of raw materials versus processed goods.
President Museveni revealed that he sent out the US president urging him to make his priorities clear about trade with African nations.
"I just met an American delegation, and I told them to send a message to the new Government of Mr. Trump to be clear on the issues of trade with Africa,” he said
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"Here in Uganda, when you export unprocessed coffee as we have been doing all this time, you get about $2.5 a kilo. But when someone turns this into powdered coffee, they may get as much as $40 from the same kilo."
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Museveni’s comments follow concerns over the Trump administration’s recent tariffs ranging from 10% (including Kenya, Ethiopia and Ghana) to 31% (South Africa) and 50% (Lesotho).
The tariffs have raised questions about the future of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade agreement that has provided duty-free access to the U.S. market for many African countries since 2000.
The new tariffs threaten to undermine the benefits previously afforded under AGOA, potentially impacting exports and economic growth across the continent.
Museveni questioned the fairness of current trade dynamics, asking, "The Trump administration has to answer whether it is fair for us to rely on exporting only raw materials and exporting jobs."
He linked economic hardships to migration challenges, noting, "When you see all these children dying in the Mediterranean while going to Europe, this is one of the reasons."
Museveni further pointed out the vast potential of Africa's natural resources, stating,
"The value of coffee on the global market is now $460 billion. How much are the coffee-exporting countries getting from this? Only $25 billion. Our wonderful Africa gets 2.5 billion. And 1.6 billion comes to Uganda."
He stressed the need for Africa to benefit more from its resources, adding, "Africa is not only donating all this money to the rest of the world, but also jobs.”