Kenya is looking to leverage China’s zero-tariff treatment for eligible products to expand exports, attract investment and strengthen domestic manufacturing. The initiative forms part of the country’s broader strategy to move beyond raw commodity exports towards value-added production, job creation and a more diversified export economy.
Lee Kinyanjui, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry, said the opportunities offered by the Chinese market come as the country intensifies efforts to expand agricultural processing, improve export certification and attract investment into manufacturing.
Speaking at the inaugural Africa Commerce and Industry Summit in Nairobi on Wednesday, Kinyanjui also stressed the importance of stronger regional trade and more competitive local industries in helping African businesses benefit from international market access.
He noted that intra-African trade accounts for approximately 17% of the continent’s total trade, compared with around 60% in Europe. Persistent barriers that make cross-border trade expensive and complicated continue to limit the movement of goods and the development of regional supply chains.
Regina Ombam, Kenya’s Principal Secretary for Trade, said Africa needed to move away from an economic model dominated by raw material exports and manufactured goods imports. She argued that regional integration and international partnerships should support greater local processing, enabling African economies to retain more value from their resources.
For Kenya, this means diversifying beyond traditional exports such as tea, coffee and horticultural products into higher-value goods, including processed foods, essential oils and cosmetics.
Kenyan businesses are already exploring opportunities in China through trade missions, investment partnerships and manufacturing collaboration. Erick Rutto, president of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), said the chamber’s permanent representative office in Changsha, Hunan province, had supported more than 1,000 Kenyan business leaders seeking opportunities in trade, manufacturing, technology transfer and investment.
Established in 2023, the office has helped organise business missions and connect Kenyan companies with potential Chinese partners.
Rutto said KNCCI remained committed to increasing Kenyan exports, diversifying the country’s export portfolio and establishing sustainable commercial relationships that would help businesses access international markets.
Qin Xiaoying, vice-president of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, highlighted growing commercial links between Kenya and China’s Hunan province. Kenyan flowers and coffee are entering the Chinese market through Changsha, while machinery manufactured in Hunan is reaching African markets.
She said stronger business connections, trade corridors and commercial partnerships could help expand mutually beneficial cooperation between Kenya and China.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is also expected to play a role in supporting Kenya’s export ambitions. Cynthia Essonam, director of private sector engagement and communications at the AfCFTA Secretariat, said faster implementation of the agreement would enable businesses to develop regional production networks and strengthen Africa’s position in international markets.
For Kenya and other African economies, the opportunity lies in combining improved access to major export markets with investment in processing, manufacturing, technology and regional supply chains. Turning tariff advantages into sustained export growth will depend on businesses’ ability to meet market requirements, increase production capacity and compete in higher-value product categories.