Agriculture & Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe has today met senior officials from the General Administration of China Customs (GACC) to push for the accelerated clearance of Kenyan agricultural and livestock products into the Chinese market.
This comes even as Kenya seeks to unlock long-pending export pathways for key commodities, including coffee, tea, avocados, mangoes, dried chillies, green grams, dried fruits, and various livestock products.
During the high-level delegation meeting that was led by the GACC Vice Minister Wang Jun, the CS emphasized that China currently imposes high tariffs on Kenyan produce: 8 percent on non-roasted coffee, 20 percent on roasted coffee, 15 percent on tea, and up to 20 percent on avocados.
“I urged GACC to fast-track the move toward zero duty on these flagship commodities to help rebalance trade between the two countries,” the CS said.
He stated that Kenya-China trade remains heavily skewed, with Kenya importing far more than it exports.
In 2024 alone, Kenya imported approximately USD 4.5 billion worth of goods from China, while exporting only USD 290 million in return, mostly raw agri-commodities like tea and avocado.
The CS noted that the deficit is unsustainable and must now be addressed through urgent, deliberate measures, starting with tariff elimination and rapid SPS clearance for Kenyan exports.
Kagwe explained that Kenya and China are in the process of finalizing a bilateral trade framework that would eliminate tariffs on major Kenyan agricultural exports but acknowledged that the final signatures and operationalization have been delayed, causing concern among local farmers and exporters.
Kagwe stressed that the agreement reached between President William Ruto and President Xi Jinping in Beijing must now move from promise to action, especially in the interest of Kenya’s rural producers.
Kenya has substantially completed required technical submissions, with KEPHIS confirming readiness of protocols for fresh mango, dried chilies, green grams, dried fruits (mango, banana, and pineapple), and plant-derived medicinal materials, which are pending approval at GACC,” the CS said, and assured the GACC delegation that Kenya is fully prepared for expanded agricultural trade and only awaits China’s final approvals to commence large-scale shipments.
“Beyond tariffs, Kenya seeks deeper cooperation in agricultural research, value chain upgrading, laboratory strengthening, and specialist training, including the exchange of scientists and technical staff,” the CS said.
Kagwe emphasized that clearing livestock export applications, some pending for over two years, would be a historic breakthrough for Kenyan farmers and processors, noting that the entry of Kenyan meat into China would be a milestone for both nations.
The CS said Kenya is ready, aligned, and committed, and that it is time for policy commitments to translate into real volumes, container movement, and expanded access for Kenyan farmers in the Chinese market.
The GACC Vice Minister Wang Jun was accompanied by Sun Renhong (Director General, Department of Duty Collection), Zheng Wei (Director, Department of Animal and Plant Quarantine), Sun Junchao (Deputy Director, General Office), and Jiang Huixin (Deputy Director, Department of International Cooperation), together with Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Ms. Guo Haiyan, Minister Counsellor Mr. Zhou Zhencheng, and Second Secretary Mr. Zeng Hui.
By Wangari Ndirangu
