Registration Opens for National Trade Review Conference 2026
By Diana N. Kintu
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives (MTIC) has officially opened registration for the National Trade Review Conference (TRC) 2026, a high-level forum aimed at aligning Uganda’s trade policy with the country’s ambitious plan to grow its economy tenfold — from approximately US$50 billion to US$500 billion by 2040.
The two-day conference is scheduled to take place from 4th to 5th March 2026 at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala. It will be held under the theme, “Trade-Driven Transformation: Propelling Uganda to a $500B Economy by 2040.”
According to the Ministry, the conference is positioned as a national, evidence-based, and multi-stakeholder dialogue intended to generate actionable trade policy and strategy recommendations. These recommendations are expected to accelerate implementation of Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy, which is anchored on four priority areas: Agro-industrialisation, Tourism Development, Mineral Development, and Science, Technology, and Innovation.
The Ministry indicated that between 250 and 350 participants are expected to attend the Conference. These will include representatives from Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, private sector leaders, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), cooperatives, civil society organisations, academia, development partners, regional trade bodies and media institutions.
Officials say the platform will provide an opportunity to take stock of Uganda’s trade performance and assess the country’s readiness to leverage trade as a driver of structural transformation. The conference is also expected to produce a time-bound national communiqué and an implementation matrix to guide follow-up actions and ensure accountability.
A major highlight of the event will be the launch of several key policy instruments. These include the revised National Trade Policy (NTP), the National Export Development Strategy (NEDS), the National Trade Policy Development and Implementation Plan, and an Online Reporting Platform.
The revised frameworks are intended to guide regulatory reforms and strengthen export promotion efforts. They will also focus on enhancing competitiveness in services trade, supporting minerals-based industrialisation, scaling up agro-industrial value chains, promoting cooperative-led trade expansion, and improving quality assurance and standardisation systems.
The Country Director of TradeMark Africa, Ms Anna Nambooze, underscored the significance of the conference, noting that nearly two decades have passed since the current Trade Policy was adopted. She described the forum as a timely opportunity to unveil Uganda’s updated trade frameworks and recalibrate the country’s export growth strategy.
By strengthening coordination across trade institutions and stakeholders, she said, the Conference will help align national priorities, accelerate reform implementation and reinforce trade as a central driver of Uganda’s Tenfold Growth ambition.
The Ministry has called upon businesses operating in manufacturing, agro-processing, ICT and digital trade, logistics, financial services, minerals, high-value manufacturing, cooperative enterprises and the broader services sector to register for participation. Registration is being conducted online through the official conference portal.
Exhibitor registration has also commenced, offering enterprises an opportunity to showcase innovations, build strategic partnerships, engage directly with policymakers and position their brands within Uganda’s evolving trade and industrial policy landscape. Exhibition space will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
The National Trade Review conference 2026 is supported by UK International Development and TradeMark Africa. Organisers expect the event to strengthen stakeholder coordination, generate practical reform commitments, enhance media awareness of Uganda’s trade policy direction and fast-track implementation of strategies aimed at boosting exports, promoting value addition and advancing inclusive economic development.
As Uganda pursues its long-term development aspirations, the conference is expected to serve as a critical platform for shaping a coherent, forward-looking trade agenda capable of driving sustained economic transformation.