President William Ruto has expressed concern over Kenya’s growing trade imbalance with China, revealing that while the country imports goods worth Sh600 billion annually from China, it only exports about Sh40 billion in return.
Speaking at the Murang’a Investment Conference on Friday, Ruto said the disparity is unsustainable and called for urgent action to expand Kenya’s access to the Chinese market.
He pointed out that key Kenyan exports—such as tea, coffee, avocado, and macadamia—still face tariffs when entering China, making it difficult for local producers to compete.
In a significant step forward, Ruto announced that China has agreed to begin negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement aimed at scrapping these tariffs.
“We are sending a team to China because they have agreed to a bilateral trade agreement that will see the removal of all tariffs on Kenyan products so we can expand the market,” Ruto said.
The negotiations will be led by Investments, Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui. Talks are expected to conclude by September or October 2025.
If successful, the deal will open up China’s vast market of over a billion consumers to Kenyan goods—giving farmers and exporters a much-needed boost.
Ruto expressed optimism that the agreement would help increase Kenya’s export earnings and create a more balanced trade relationship with China.
The push for better trade terms follows high-level meetings in Beijing in April, where Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi met with China’s Finance Minister Lan Fo’an.
One of the main agenda items was improving Kenya’s trade position by securing better access for Kenyan agricultural and manufactured goods.
