Kenya Secures Near-Zero Tariff Access for Exports to China, A Major Trade Breakthrough

Kenya, January 15 2026 - Kenya has clinched a preliminary trade agreement with China that grants duty-free access on approximately 98.2 % of Kenyan export goods, a significant move expected to unlock new export opportunities and strengthen bilateral trade ties.

The deal, reached after sustained negotiations between Nairobi and Beijing, comes amid broader efforts to balance Kenya’s trade relationship with China, which has historically been skewed toward imports. Kenya’s imports from China have far outpaced exports, driving concerns over a growing trade deficit.

Under the emerging agreement: Kenyan exporters will pay zero import tariffs on nearly all products entering the Chinese market, removing a major cost barrier and increasing competitiveness for Kenyan goods. The near-zero duty access is expected to boost agricultural exports, including tea, coffee, avocados, macadamia nuts and other produce, by opening up China’s vast market of 1.4 billion consumers.

Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry Lee Kinyanjui said the duty-free access will “create new opportunities for Kenyan exporters and support diversification of our export basket, especially in agriculture, which remains the backbone of our economy.” Officials describe this as an “Early Harvest” framework, a precursor to a full bilateral trade agreement that Kenya has been negotiating with China to secure more equitable trade privileges.

Kenya has long sought to correct a widening trade gap with China. Latest government data show Kenya’s trade deficit with China reached roughly Sh475.6 billion in the first nine months of 2025, driven mainly by imports rising faster than exports. Kenya imports machinery, electronics, construction materials and industrial inputs from China, while its exports, mostly tea, coffee and other agricultural products, have historically been much smaller in volume.

By securing near-zero tariffs, Kenyan exporters could improve profit margins, explore new markets within China, and diversify beyond traditional export destinations like Europe and the U.S. China’s tariff stance has been evolving: As of January 1 2026, Beijing imposed additional 55 % tariffs on imported beef that exceeds set quotas for major suppliers like Brazil and Australia, part of protective measures to support its domestic cattle industry.

While beef tariffs largely affect major global producers, such policy shifts illustrate that access to Chinese markets can be shaped by strategic industrial priorities, making Kenya’s near-zero tariff agreement a noteworthy exception and opportunity. The new duty-free access to China also aligns with broader preferential policies Beijing has extended to Africa.