Uganda Secures South Korean Distributor for Coffee Exports

Uganda has signed an agreement with South Korean firm Global Value Change Coffee Center (GVCC) Co. Ltd to distribute Ugandan coffee in South Korea, opening a new market for local exporters. The agreement was signed in Busan on the sidelines of the Uganda–Korea Trade and Investment Meeting. Under the partnership, Besmark Coffee Company Ltd will serve as Uganda's exclusive supply partner, while GVCC will become the exclusive distributor of Ugandan coffee in South Korea. The first consignment, comprising two 20-tonne containers, is already being shipped to the Korean market. The agreement is among the outcomes of Uganda's trade and investment engagements with South Korea and is expected to strengthen access to the Korean and wider Asian markets for Ugandan coffee. Uganda's delegation said the partnership would also create opportunities for value addition and improve returns to farmers by connecting local producers and exporters to higher-value international markets. The partnership is part of Uganda's economic and commercial diplomacy efforts to expand export markets, strengthen trade relations and promote value addition along the coffee value chain. The Ugandan delegation to the Uganda–Korea Trade and Investment Meeting is led by Second Deputy Prime Minister Crispus Kiyonga. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives was represented by Richard Okot, Assistant Commissioner for External Trade. 'Ugandan coffee has a strong reputation for quality. Partnerships such as this create a pathway for our farmers and exporters to access premium markets while strengthening Uganda's position in the global coffee trade,' Okot said. The agreement comes as Uganda continues to seek new markets for its coffee and increase earnings from the country's leading agricultural exports.