Kenya Ramps Up Push For China To Drop Tariffs On Coffee, Tea And Avocados
By MKT Correspondent
Kenya has intensified high-level negotiations with Beijing in a bid to secure zero-tariff access for some of its most valuable agricultural exports, as the country seeks to narrow its widening trade imbalance with China.
Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, who is overseeing aspects of trade facilitation for agricultural commodities, met senior officials from China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) to press for faster clearance of Kenyan products into the world’s second-largest economy.
The Chinese delegation was led by GACC Vice Minister Wang Jun and included top officials overseeing duty collection, animal and plant quarantine, and international cooperation, alongside Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan and embassy staff.
During the talks, Mr. Kagwe raised concerns over what he termed “unfairly high” Chinese tariffs on Kenyan produce; 8% on non-roasted coffee, 20% on roasted coffee, 15% on tea, and as high as 20% on avocados, which he said continue to restrict Kenya’s export growth.
He argued that the tariffs stand in stark contrast to Kenya’s commitment to opening its own market to Chinese goods. In 2024, Kenya imported goods worth about USD 4.5 billion from China but exported only USD 290 million in return, largely raw agricultural commodities.
“The deficit is unsustainable,” the CS told the delegation, urging China to expedite the shift to zero duty promised during President William Ruto’s meeting with President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
“It is time for commitments to move from paper to real market access.”
Kenya and China are finalizing a bilateral trade framework expected to eliminate tariffs on key agricultural exports, but the agreement has faced delays, raising anxiety among farmers and exporters who had expected shipments to begin this year.
According to Kagwe, Kenya has already completed the technical submissions required by China, with the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (Kephis) confirming readiness of export protocols for fresh mangoes, dried chillies, green grams, dried fruits and plant-based medicinal materials. These items now await final GACC approval.
The CS added that Kenya is also seeking long-pending clearance for livestock products, some applications dating back more than two years noting that approval of Kenyan meat exports would mark a “historic breakthrough” for the country’s livestock sector.
Beyond tariff reduction, Kenya is pushing for deeper collaboration in agricultural research, value chain development, laboratory strengthening and exchange of technical experts between the two nations.
“Kenya is ready,” Mr. Kagwe emphasized. “What remains is for policy commitments to translate into real volumes, containers moving, and expanded access for Kenyan farmers in the Chinese market.”
If implemented, the proposed tariff cuts and clearances could reshape Kenya’s agricultural export landscape, opening the door to one of the world’s largest consumer markets and offering new opportunities for rural producers.
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