• Kenyan agricultural exports to China will be duty-free starting May 1

• Move covers key products including tea, coffee, avocados, and flowers

• Nairobi aims to boost exports and strengthen its trade surplus

Kenyan agricultural products will gain duty-free access to the Chinese market starting May 1, in a move expected to boost exports and strengthen the country’s position in global trade.

The announcement was made on March 16 by Agriculture Minister Mutahi Kagwe following a meeting with China’s ambassador to Kenya, Guo Haiyan.

According to Kagwe, the decision by Beijing is part of the implementation of trade agreements reached during President William Ruto’s state visit to China from April 22 to 26, 2025.

The minister said the removal of tariffs will allow products such as tea, coffee, avocados, macadamia nuts, flowers, and fresh horticultural goods to enter China’s market of more than 1.4 billion consumers without duties, significantly improving Kenya’s competitiveness.

The development comes as Nairobi seeks to expand its agricultural exports to China. In May 2025, the government announced plans to increase annual tea exports to the Chinese market to 50,000 tons by 2030, nearly four times the 12,420 tons exported in 2024.

Earlier, in February, the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) said the coffee sector had begun talks with Chinese importers as part of a strategy to boost shipments to the country. At the time, no specific volume targets had been set.

Authorities are betting that tariff-free access will drive higher export revenues. The move could also reinforce Kenya’s position as one of the few net exporters of food products in Africa.

According to the 2025 edition of the Africa Agricultural Trade Monitor (AATM), Kenya recorded an average annual agricultural trade surplus of $1.2 billion between 2019 and 2023. Over that period, it ranked as Africa’s third-largest net exporter of agricultural products, behind South Africa and Côte d’Ivoire.

Stéphanas Assocle