How to Pay Chinese Suppliers from Uganda (2026)

Key takeaways

The US International Trade Administration states that Uganda has no foreign exchange controls affecting legitimate trade, and the Foreign Exchange Act, 2004 requires foreign currency payments to or from Uganda to go through a bank.
URA requires importers to declare goods through ASYCUDA World, and lists the Import Declaration Form, certificate of origin and bill of lading or air waybill as mandatory documents.
Goods covered by the UNBS PVoC program need a certificate of conformity before shipment, and Bureau Veritas's datasheet sets the exporter-paid fee at 0.25% to 0.50% of FOB value, minimum $235 and maximum $3,000.
On top of import duty, imports into Uganda carry VAT at 18%, withholding tax at 6% and an infrastructure levy of 1.5%, according to Germany Trade and Invest.
Centenary Bank's Tariff Guide 2026 charges USD 10 (SHA) or USD 40 (OUR) for an outward foreign currency transfer, and 0.5% per quarter to issue a cash-covered import letter of credit, plus 15% excise duty.
China's foreign exchange rules expect the payer and the beneficiary to be the parties to the contract, so a payment sent by an agent can be queried by the supplier's bank.

How to pay a Chinese supplier from Uganda: the short answer

A Ugandan business pays a Chinese supplier by bank transfer, usually in US dollars by SWIFT, to the supplier's account in China or Hong Kong. SWIFT is the international messaging network banks use for cross-border payments, and each bank has an 8 or 11 character SWIFT code. Uganda does not restrict payments for legitimate trade, so the payment itself is straightforward. What decides whether the goods clear and what they cost on arrival is the paperwork tied to the payment: the certificate of conformity issued before shipment, the import declaration lodged with the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), and the taxes charged on the customs value.

The usual sequence for an order from China is:

Agree the price, the payment terms and the Incoterm with the supplier, and get a proforma invoice. An Incoterm is a standard trade term, such as FOB or CIF, that sets who pays freight and insurance.
Check whether the goods fall under the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) Pre-Export Verification of Conformity (PVoC) program, and agree who books the inspection in China.
Pay the deposit by SWIFT from your company's account, quoting the proforma invoice number.
Pay the balance against copies of the bill of lading and, where required, the certificate of conformity.
Your clearing agent lodges the import declaration through URA's systems, and you pay duties and taxes before release.

This guide covers each step from the Ugandan side. For the supplier's side, such as how Chinese factories invoice and how to pay a Hong Kong account, see our general guide on how to pay suppliers in China.

Uganda's rules that shape the payment

Two sets of rules apply: the foreign exchange rules that govern how the money leaves Uganda, and the customs rules that govern how the goods arrive.

Foreign exchange

The US International Trade Administration (ITA) states that there are no foreign exchange controls affecting legitimate trade in Uganda. The Foreign Exchange Act, 2004 requires foreign currency payments to or from Uganda to go through a bank (section 9(2)) and every foreign exchange transfer to go through a person licensed for money transfers (section 9(3)). There is no form to register an import with your bank before you pay, but the Bank of Uganda (BoU) may require details of foreign exchange transactions (section 4), so keep the invoice with each payment.

Customs

Customs in Uganda is governed by the East African Community Customs Management Act and enforced by URA. Importers declare goods through ASYCUDA World, URA's automated customs system, and submit documents through the Electronic Single Window, where approvals from several agencies are tracked in one place.

Requirement	What it means
Customs law	East African Community Customs Management Act, enforced by URA
Declaration system	ASYCUDA World, with documents through the Electronic Single Window
Documents listed as mandatory	Import Declaration Form, certificate of origin, bill of lading or air waybill
Other documents	Commercial invoice, packing list and PVoC certificate where required
Conformity	Some goods must pass PVoC inspection in the country of origin before shipment
Import permits	Some agricultural, pharmaceutical and chemical products need a permit before import from the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, the National Drug Authority or UNBS
Tariff	East African Community Common External Tariff on goods from outside the community

Source: International Trade Administration, Uganda Country Commercial Guide, Customs Regulations (last published 18 December 2025). As published on 29 October 2026. Confirm with your clearing agent.

For payment, two of these matter most: the PVoC certificate, which the supplier must arrange in China before the goods ship, and the taxes on the customs value, which you pay in Uganda on top of the invoice.

PVoC: the certificate of conformity before shipment

PVoC stands for Pre-Export Verification of Conformity. It is the UNBS program that checks products against Ugandan standards in the exporting country, before they ship. UNBS appoints inspection companies to run it. The figures below come from the datasheet of one appointed company, Bureau Veritas, revision 11.2 of July 2023; check the current version with UNBS or your inspection company before you rely on it.

Point	What the datasheet states
Program start	1 June 2013; regulation renewal date listed as 24 February 2023
Goods covered	Eleven product groups, including toys, electrical equipment, food, chemicals, textiles and used products
Low-value exemption	Consignments of $2,000 FOB or less are exempt, except used motor vehicles; exempt goods may face UNBS destination inspection
Outcome of the assessment	A certificate of conformity (CoC) or a non-conformity report
Test reports	From an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory or a UNBS-recognized laboratory
Fees	Paid by the exporter on the declared FOB value: Route A 0.50%, Route B 0.45%, Route C 0.25%, Route D 0.50%; minimum $235, maximum $3,000
Routes	Route B for registered products, Route C for licensed manufacturers, Route D for consolidated cargo by UNBS-registered consolidators; Route A for the rest

Source: Bureau Veritas, Uganda PVoC datasheet, Rev. 11.2 (July 2023). As published on 29 October 2026. Confirm current requirements with UNBS.

FOB, or Free on Board, is the value of the goods loaded on the ship, before freight and insurance. Because the PVoC fee is paid by the exporter, a Chinese supplier may add it to the price or ask you to pay it; agree this when you agree the Incoterm. The CoC is your best protection before the balance leaves your account. Make the balance payment conditional on a copy of the CoC as well as the bill of lading, so you learn of a problem in China, before you have paid in full, and not at the border.

How the money reaches a Chinese supplier

Most Chinese suppliers invoice in US dollars, and many sell through a Hong Kong trading company with a Hong Kong bank account. A Ugandan importer pays in one of the ways below. Whichever route you use, pay the company named on the invoice, so the payment and the customs record match.

Supplier asks for	How you pay from Uganda	What to check
USD to a Hong Kong company account	SWIFT transfer in USD from your company's USD account, or with dollars bought from your bank	The Hong Kong company is the seller on the invoice
USD to a mainland China account	SWIFT transfer in USD	The supplier's bank checks the contract and invoice before it credits the funds
Chinese yuan (CNY)	Ask your bank whether it can send yuan and at what rate	Compare the total cost with the dollar route
Letter of credit	Your bank pays the supplier against compliant documents, such as the CoC and bill of lading	Documents must match the credit exactly
Documentary collection	Banks release the shipping documents to you against payment	The supplier carries more risk than under a credit

Routes as described in this guide; supplier-side checks from PNC Bank's summary of China's goods trade foreign exchange rules. As published on 29 October 2026.

A letter of credit (LC) is a bank's written promise to pay the seller when it presents documents that comply with the credit; listing the CoC among the required documents builds the PVoC check into the payment. The ITA notes that open account, letters of credit and documentary collections are all used in Uganda. Documentary collection sends the shipping documents through the banks, and you receive them only after you pay or accept a bill of exchange.

What the supplier's bank checks

China manages foreign exchange through the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE). As summarized by PNC Bank, banks cannot conduct foreign exchange business for companies that are not on SAFE's list of companies with goods trade foreign exchange business. The supplier's bank verifies receipts using documents that include the contract, invoice and customs declaration, and the remitter and beneficiary must be the parties to the contract. A payment from a company that is not on the contract can be held while the supplier's bank asks questions.

What it costs: taxes and bank charges

The supplier's invoice is not the full cost. Duty and taxes are charged on the customs value, which is generally the cost of the goods plus insurance and freight to the Ugandan entry point (CIF).

Charge	Rate	Base
Import duty, raw materials and capital goods	0%	Customs value
Import duty, intermediate products	10%	Customs value
Import duty, finished goods	25%	Customs value
Import duty, listed goods such as textiles, clothing, iron and steel, furniture and ceramics	35%	Customs value
Value added tax (VAT)	18%	Customs value plus import duty
Withholding tax on imports	6%	Customs value
Infrastructure levy	1.5%	Customs value; imports from EAC member states exempt
Excise duty	Set per product, for example 20% on furniture	Duty-paid value

Source: Germany Trade and Invest, Uganda import duties and import VAT (9 December 2024). As published on 29 October 2026. Confirm rates for the month of import with your clearing agent.

On a consignment of finished goods with a customs value of $20,000, import duty at 25% is $5,000, VAT at 18% on $25,000 is $4,500, withholding tax at 6% is $1,200 and the infrastructure levy at 1.5% is $300, before any excise duty and the clearing agent's fees.

Bank charges

Each Ugandan bank publishes its own tariff. The table shows one bank's charges for the steps in this guide.

Item	Centenary Bank published charge
Outward foreign currency transfer, charges shared (SHA)	USD 10
Outward foreign currency transfer, sender pays all charges (OUR)	USD 40
Amendment or recall of a transfer	USD 50
Import LC issuance commission	0.5% per quarter if cash-covered; 1% per quarter if collateral-covered
LC confirmation	0.45% per quarter
LC discrepancy fee	USD 100
LC settlement commission	USD 100
Documentary collection handling	0.25% of face value
Courier for collection documents	USD 80
Excise duty on transaction charges	15%

Source: Centenary Bank, Tariff Guide 2026 (effective 1 February 2026), as published on 29 October 2026. Other banks set their own charges.

On a $40,000 order paid as a $12,000 deposit and a $28,000 balance, two OUR transfers cost $80, or $92 with 15% excise duty. Send SWIFT payments with the charge code OUR, which means you pay all transfer fees and the supplier receives the full invoice amount. SHA shares the fees, so intermediary deductions come out of the amount, and BEN puts all fees on the supplier. A short payment delays shipment while the supplier queries the gap. If you buy dollars with shillings, ask for the rate before you confirm.

Documents that tie the payment to clearance

Your bank, URA, UNBS and the supplier's bank each match the same details: the invoice number, the supplier's name, the goods and the value. Keep them identical on every document.

Stage	Document	Who provides it
Before ordering	Proforma invoice	Supplier
Before import, for controlled products	Import permit from the relevant agency	Importer
Each payment	SWIFT confirmation quoting the invoice number	Your bank
Before shipment	Certificate of conformity, where the goods are covered by PVoC	Supplier, through the inspection company
After shipment	Commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading or air waybill, certificate of origin	Supplier and carrier
Clearance	Import declaration in ASYCUDA World, with supporting documents through the Electronic Single Window	Clearing agent

Sources: International Trade Administration, Uganda Customs Regulations; Bureau Veritas Uganda PVoC datasheet. Typical sequence; requirements vary by product. As published on 29 October 2026.

A bill of lading is the document the shipping line issues when it receives the goods. Most goods for Uganda arrive by sea through a port in a neighboring country and travel on by road or rail, so ask the supplier to name Uganda as the final destination on the documents. Ask for copies of the invoice, bill of lading and CoC before you pay the balance, and check that the shipper, consignee and goods match.

Agents, cash and informal routes: what goes wrong

Some importers pay through an agent who collects shillings in Kampala and pays the supplier from an account in China, sometimes as part of a consolidated shipment, or through a currency dealer or a stablecoin trader. The facts below are what an importer should weigh.

The law expects a bank. The Foreign Exchange Act, 2004 requires foreign currency payments to or from Uganda to go through a bank, and transfers to go through a person licensed for money transfers.
The supplier's bank may query it. China's rules expect the payer to be the party on the contract. A transfer from an agent's account is a payment from a third party.
The goods still need their documents. The way the supplier is paid does not change PVoC or customs. Goods covered by PVoC still need a CoC, and the declaration still needs an invoice that matches the real price.
There is no trace. A SWIFT transfer from your own account carries a reference and can be traced through the banks. Cash handed to an agent cannot.
Stablecoins are outside the licensed system. The BoU states that virtual assets are not legal tender, and its Governor said in a speech published by the BIS in February 2026 that Uganda has no licensed virtual asset service providers. A USDT payment to a supplier creates no bank record of the import.

If an agent consolidates goods, ask which company is named as shipper and seller, and who holds each CoC.

Where Helm fits

Helm is a financial technology company, not a bank. Accounts are held with regulated partner institutions. A Helm account gives your company USD account details in its own name, with a US routing and account number that receives ACH, Fedwire and SWIFT payments.

For a Ugandan business that buys from China, it works like this:

Pay suppliers in USD. Send international payments by SWIFT from your company's own account to the supplier's USD account in China or Hong Kong, with the rate, fee and expected arrival shown before you send.
Hold dollars for the balance. Keep the balance payment in USD, so it is not converted on the day it falls due.
Collect from buyers abroad. If you also sell abroad, buyers can pay the same account by ACH, Fedwire or SWIFT, and those dollars can pay suppliers without converting twice.
Finance the order. Trade finance, such as supplier finance and working capital, is arranged case by case.
Stablecoins only where the law allows. Helm accounts can receive USDC and USDT and convert them to USD, but given the BoU's position, take Ugandan legal advice before using this feature.

Your goods still need a CoC where PVoC applies, an import declaration and customs clearance in Uganda, whichever account pays the supplier. Keep the payment confirmations with the customs entry, because the BoU can ask for details of foreign exchange transactions. Each account has a named account manager, and review questions are answered in writing within one business day. Helm agrees pricing with each business in writing before the account opens, and shows the rate, the fee and the expected arrival before you confirm each payment.

A checklist for paying a Chinese supplier from Uganda

Get a proforma invoice and agree the Incoterm, so you know which costs sit in the customs value.
Check whether the goods need an import permit or are covered by PVoC, and agree who books and pays for the inspection.
Pay the deposit by SWIFT from your company's account, with charges set to OUR, quoting the invoice number.
Pay the balance only against copies of the bill of lading and, where required, the CoC.
Check the seller on the invoice and the beneficiary on the payment are the same company.
Budget for import duty, 18% VAT, 6% withholding tax and the 1.5% infrastructure levy on top of the invoice.
Give your clearing agent the documents early, so the declaration can be lodged as the goods arrive.
Keep the SWIFT confirmations with the invoice, CoC and customs entry for each order.

For how other importers organize supplier payments, see the importers page.

Open a Helm account

USD, EUR and GBP accounts in your company's name, with a named account manager.

Open account

Questions

How do I pay a Chinese supplier from Uganda?

Send US dollars by SWIFT from your company's account to the supplier's account in China or Hong Kong, quoting the invoice number. Pay the balance against copies of the bill of lading and, where the goods are covered by PVoC, the certificate of conformity.

Do I need Bank of Uganda approval to pay a supplier abroad?

No approval is needed for legitimate trade; the US International Trade Administration states that Uganda has no foreign exchange controls affecting it. The Foreign Exchange Act, 2004 requires the payment to go through a bank, and the BoU may ask for details of foreign exchange transactions.

What is PVoC in Uganda?

PVoC is the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity program of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards. Covered goods are inspected in the exporting country and receive a certificate of conformity before they ship; consignments of $2,000 FOB or less are exempt, except used motor vehicles, according to Bureau Veritas's datasheet.

Who pays the PVoC inspection fee?

Bureau Veritas's Uganda datasheet states that the fee is paid by the exporter, at 0.25% to 0.50% of the FOB value depending on the route, with a minimum of $235 and a maximum of $3,000. Suppliers may build it into the price, so agree it with the Incoterm.

What taxes do I pay on imports from China into Uganda?

Import duty under the EAC Common External Tariff (0%, 10%, 25% or 35% for most goods), VAT at 18% on the customs value plus duty, withholding tax at 6% and an infrastructure levy of 1.5% on the customs value, according to Germany Trade and Invest. Some goods also carry excise duty.

What do Ugandan banks charge to send money to China?

Each bank publishes its own tariff. Centenary Bank's Tariff Guide 2026 lists USD 10 for an outward foreign currency transfer with shared charges and USD 40 with all charges paid by the sender, plus 15% excise duty on charges.

Can I pay a Chinese supplier in yuan from Uganda?

It depends on your bank. Ask whether it can send yuan and at what rate, and compare the total cost with paying in US dollars, which most Chinese suppliers invoice in.

Why does my Chinese supplier want payment to a Hong Kong account?

Many Chinese factories sell through a Hong Kong trading company that holds a Hong Kong bank account. Make sure the Hong Kong company is the seller on the invoice, so the payment and the customs documents match.

Is it safe to pay a Chinese supplier through an agent in Kampala?

The Foreign Exchange Act, 2004 requires foreign currency payments to go through a bank and transfers through licensed persons, and China's rules expect the payer to be the contract party. A payment through an agent leaves no bank record and can be queried by the supplier's bank.

Can I pay a Chinese supplier with USDT from Uganda?

The Bank of Uganda states that virtual assets are not legal tender, and its Governor said Uganda has no licensed virtual asset service providers. A USDT transfer creates no bank record of the import, so take advice before using one.

References

HelmHelm is a business account for companies that trade internationally: USD, EUR and GBP accounts, international payments, collections and currency exchange, with a named account manager. Questions: [email protected].

This guide is general information for businesses, not financial, legal or tax advice. Rules, fees and timings were checked against the sources listed on the review date and may change.

How to pay Chinese suppliers from Uganda