GUIYANG, China — Coffee importers and roasters in the Chinese city of Guiyang want to buy directly from Ugandan exporters rather than through intermediaries, and plan to increase their purchases, an industry leader has said.
Lu Yuan, president of the Guiyang Coffee Industry Association, said companies in the city had so far imported more than 150 tonnes of Ugandan coffee and intended to raise the volumes, citing its quality.
He said the association wanted direct sourcing, joint marketing and long-term partnerships linking Ugandan exporters with roasters and retailers in Guizhou province, of which Guiyang is the capital.
Lu was speaking on Tuesday at a coffee trade promotion and business matching session in Guiyang, hosted by the Uganda Consulate General in Guangzhou and the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries. The meeting brought together importers, roasters, traders and retailers.
The association’s members include importers, distributors, roasters and coffee shop operators across Guizhou.
Ambassador Judyth Nsababera, Uganda’s consul general in Guangzhou, who led the Ugandan delegation, welcomed the buyers’ interest in direct sourcing and long-term supply arrangements.
She proposed that Ugandan exporters send coffee samples to Guiyang buyers, that the consulate coordinate further business matching meetings, and that association members visit Uganda’s coffee-growing areas
Nsababera described Uganda as Africa’s leading coffee exporter. She said the country’s climate allowed two harvests a year and that it could supply traceable Robusta and Arabica coffee with distinct flavours, adding that value addition and expansion into fast-growing markets such as China were central to Uganda’s coffee strategy.
According to the consulate, Chinese buyers often obtain Ugandan coffee through intermediaries in other countries and use it in blends, in many cases without knowing where it comes from. It said Uganda now wants to sell its coffee in China directly as single-origin and specialty coffee.
Uganda’s coffee exports to China grew by 224% in the 2025/26 financial year, the consulate said.
Yang Liu, deputy director of the Guiyang Foreign Affairs Office, said the city wanted to strengthen trade links between its businesses and Ugandan companies.
The Ugandan delegation included Mbale City Mayor Joyce Matuka Kidulu and officials from the agriculture ministry. Representatives of the Guiyang Foreign Trade Development Group also attended.
