Kenya Pushes for Duty, Free Access to Chinas Apparel Market to Narrow Trade DeficitKenya has significantly stepped up its drive to obtain greater access to Chinas enormous apparel consumer market, as one of the measures it intends to use to narrow its rising trade deficit with Beijing.
Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui says negotiations with Beijing are at an advanced stage with the initiative set to grant Kenyan exporters duty-free and quota-free access to China’s market.
According to United Nations data, Kenya’s exports to China totalled under $240 million in 2024 , a fraction of the over $8 billion dollars of imports it received from China. The imbalance has translated into a widening trade deficit with imports from China largely machinery, electronics and industrial inputs significantly outpacing exports. In order to bridge this gap, the government says it is crafting an export diversification strategy targeting Europe, Asia and African markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
With the agreement set to take effect from Mid-March, Kinyanjui says the deal will open new opportunities for Kenyan manufacturers, particularly those operating under the Export Processing Zones framework, while strengthening the country’s position in global value chains.