NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 16 – Exports from Africa to China rose 10.2 percent year-on-year to Sh512.5 billion ($39.66 billion) in the first seven months of 2025, boosted by Beijing’s removal of tariffs on a range of products.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Department of African Affairs Director-General Du Xiaohui said the zero-tariff policy has opened the door for agricultural products such as Kenyan avocados, Ethiopian Arabica coffee, and Cameroonian cocoa to enter the Chinese market more competitively.
In August, President William Ruto confirmed that China had agreed to lift all tariffs on Kenyan exports including tea, coffee, and avocados. The move is expected to further diversify Kenya’s export markets and ease the country’s reliance on traditional destinations.
Kenya’s macadamia sector is already reaping early gains. In August, the country exported 54 tons of nuts to China’s Hunan Province—the first batch this year—with shipments projected to reach 2,000 tons by year-end. China’s expanding middle class has fueled rising demand for the nuts, offering Kenya access to a market of over one billion consumers.
Kenya, the world’s third-largest macadamia producer, is targeting both raw in-shell exports and value-added products to maximize returns.
Meanwhile, goods trade between China and Kenya climbed 11.9 percent in the first quarter of 2025 to 16.13 billion yuan ($2.24 billion), according to China’s General Administration of Customs. Imports from Kenya grew 13.2 percent during the period, outpacing China’s 11.8 percent export growth to the country, marking the sixth straight quarter of expansion.
