The arrangement is anchored under the Kenya–China Early Harvest Agreement and is expected to benefit approximately 98.2 percent of Kenyan exports.
By Bradley BosireAgriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe announced the development on Monday after a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Guo Haiyan, describing it as a major step in strengthening agricultural trade between the two countries.
By David AbonyoIn a statement issued on Thursday, the ministry said the agreement follows sustained engagements with China after Beijing announced duty-free and quota-free (DFQF) market access for African goods, a framework that largely benefits Least Developed Countries (LDCs) while disadvantaging developing economies such as Kenya.
By David AbonyoDuring the meeting, Kagwe raised concerns about the widening trade gap, pointing out that Kenya bought goods worth about USD 4.5 billion (Sh581.5 billion) from China in 2024, while its exports to the Asian nation were valued at only USD 290 million (Sh37.5 billion). Most of the exported produce consisted of raw agricultural items, mainly tea and avocados.
By David Abonyo