Are the Gulf States poised to become Uganda’s No. 1 trading partner? Emerging trends andimperatives

Abstract

For centuries, Europe has been an important market for products from Sub-Saharan Africa. At the turn of the twenty-first century, the boundary of trade geography dramatically changed, with African products increasingly going to the Gulf region. This paper provides evidence on the nature and evolution of trade between Uganda and the Gulf nations, focusing on how African countries can build comparative advantages in sectors that yield significantly higher value added and are also less prone to price shocks.

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