Kenya has secured a preliminary trade agreement with China, allowing 98.2% of its export goods duty-free market access, the trade ministry announced on Thursday.
This development is part of Kenya’s efforts to forge closer ties with China, following President William Ruto’s state visit to Beijing last year, where several financing and cooperation agreements were signed.
The agreement is expected to help Kenya close its trade gap with China, which is heavily tilted in Beijing’s favour.
The deal comes as Kenya faces uncertainty over its exports to the US, with the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) expiring in September 2025, triggering tariffs of up to 28% on Kenyan apparel exports worth over $600 million annually.
Kenya is also negotiating a bilateral trade deal with the US, aiming to conclude talks by year-end.
