Kenya has intensified its push for a fundamental reset of its agricultural trade with China, with Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture Mutahi Kagwe urging Beijing to drop longstanding tariffs and accelerate long-delayed market access approvals for key Kenyan exports.
The move comes amid what Nairobi views as a pivotal moment to correct a structurally unbalanced trade relationship and unlock new value streams for Kenya’s farmers, processors and exporters.
Speaking in Nairobi after high-level discussions with senior officials from the General Administration of China Customs (GACC), Senator Kagwe said Kenya had “done its part” in meeting technical and sanitary requirements for agricultural market entry and now expects China to act on political commitments agreed between President William Ruto and President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
The GACC delegation, led by Vice Minister Wang Jun and accompanied by senior customs, quarantine and international cooperation officials, held extended talks with Kagwe alongside Chinese Ambassador Guo Haiyan. Kenya pressed for the rapid clearance of fresh and processed agricultural products that have languished in procedural queues for years. These include coffee, tea, avocados, mangoes, dried chillies, green grams, dried fruits and a range of livestock products.
Kenya’s trade deficit with China remains substantial. In 2024, imports from China reached roughly USD 4.5 billion, while Kenya’s exports amounted to only USD 290 million, the bulk consisting of raw or minimally processed agricultural goods. Kagwe argued that rectifying the deficit requires more than political goodwill: it demands expedited tariff removal, faster SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) clearances and predictable export protocols.
Kagwe noted that China continues to levy some of its highest tariffs on Kenya’s flagship exports: 8 percent on non-roasted coffee, 20 percent on roasted coffee, 15 percent on tea and up to 20 percent on avocados. For a country seeking to raise export earnings and support producers in rural economies, the CS said, these barriers have become “increasingly untenable”.
Although Nairobi and Beijing have been negotiating a bilateral framework that would eliminate tariffs on major agricultural exports, the CS said operationalisation has been slow, causing uncertainty among exporters who were anticipating market entry by late 2024. He added that technical submissions by Kenyan agencies — notably the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service — are complete and ready for approval, covering products ranging from fresh mangoes to dried fruits and plant-derived medicinal materials.
Beyond tariffs, Kenya is seeking deeper cooperation in agricultural research, laboratory capacity, value-chain upgrading and specialist training. Unlocking livestock exports, some of which have been awaiting Chinese clearance for more than two years, would constitute what Kagwe termed “a historic breakthrough”.
The CS said Kenya is aligned, prepared and committed. “What remains,” he added, “is for commitments to convert into real shipments, real containers and real market access for Kenyan farmers.”
