We study trade policy in Uganda, particularly focusing on the post conflict period of 1986 to date. We divide trade policy reforms in that period in two generations. A first generation associated to the structural reforms agreed between the National Resistance Movement (NRM) and the international institutions, which wanted to limited state intervention and impose a free market oriented economy open to international trade. We conclude that Uganda’s first generation of reforms, beginning in 1987, have been largely successful in kick-starting the integration into global markets of an economy that had collapsed under the previous 15 years of political instability and economic mismanagement. Nonetheless, mixed results in terms of promoting export diversification, creating an adequate regulation of the trade system and integrating with neighbour countries, among other factors, warranted a more active intervention of the public sector in trade policy, a change that we termed second generation reforms.