Kenyan farmers and exporters are set to gain wider access to the Chinese market after a new trade arrangement removed import duties on about 98.2 per cent of tariff lines covering Kenyan exports.The agreement opens duty-free access for a wide range of Kenyan products, including avocados, tea, coffee, macadamia nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, cut flowers, hides and skins and other value-added products.For farmers, the change means eligible products can enter the Chinese market without the import charges that previously made Kenyan goods more expensive and less competitive against supplies from other countries.Avocado farmers are among those expected to benefit, with Kenya already having established access to the Chinese market. The removal of duties could make Kenyan avocados more competitive and encourage exporters to increase shipments to China.Tea and coffee producers are also positioned to benefit as eligible products gain duty-free entry, giving exporters greater room to compete on price while seeking to expand Kenya's presence in China's growing consumer market.Trade Principal Secretary Regina Ombam said the arrangement is designed as an early step towards a broader free-trade agreement with China, allowing the two countries to first remove barriers on products that can deliver immediate value to their economies.Ombam explained that an Early Harvest Agreement allows countries to liberalise selected products before concluding negotiations for a comprehensive free-trade agreement, which can take considerably longer. For Kenya, the approach targets products where local producers already have the capacity to supply the Chinese market.The opportunity comes as Kenya seeks to expand its agricultural exports and reduce its heavy reliance on traditional markets. China's population of about 1.4 billion people provides a potentially huge customer base for Kenyan agricultural and processed products.The arrangement also creates opportunities for macadamia farmers and processors, particularly as Kenya seeks to increase local processing instead of exporting raw agricultural products. Processed macadamia products can target China's growing middle-class market, where nuts are increasingly viewed as a healthy snack.Cut flower growers could similarly benefit from the removal of import duties, allowing Kenyan flowers to compete more favourably in the Chinese market and opening another destination beyond the country's established European markets.The deal also covers value-added products such as avocado oil, processed hides, packaged coffee and other products, creating opportunities for businesses that process Kenyan agricultural produce before exporting it.The opportunity comes against a major imbalance in Kenya-China trade. Kenya imported goods worth about Ksh557.9 billion from China in 2024, compared with exports worth approximately Ksh25.4 billion, highlighting the need to increase Kenyan products entering the Chinese market.
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