Uganda, Rwanda Sign New Trade Deal to Boost Cross-Border Commerce

Uganda and Rwanda signed a new trade facilitation agreement this week aimed at simplifying customs procedures at the Katuna and Mirama Hills border posts, a further sign of warming trade relations between the two neighbours.

The deal is expected to cut clearance times for traders moving goods between the two countries, who have in recent years faced periodic border closures and stricter checks that disrupted commerce.

"Every day a truck sits at the border is money lost for a trader who is often operating on thin margins," said a Uganda Revenue Authority official involved in the negotiations.

Business associations on both sides of the border welcomed the agreement, though some traders said they would wait to see how consistently it is implemented before adjusting their supply chains.