Yoyo Zhou
Senior Member
- Jun 16, 2020
- 199
- 322
Mwaka jana, katika Maonyesho ya Uchumi na Biashara ya China na Afrika yaliyofanyika huko Changsha, China ilitangaza kwamba itatekeleza sera ya ushuru sifuri kwa bidhaa kutoka nchi za Afrika ambazo zina uhusiano wa kibalozi na China. Kenya haikuwa miongoni mwa kundi la kwanza la nchi hizo, kwani si nchi iliyo nyuma zaidi kimaendeleo. Katika nusu ya pili ya mwaka jana, maafisa wa ngazi za juu wa serikali ya Kenya walitembelea China mara nyingi ili kufanya mazungumzo ya ana kwa ana kuhusu biashara, hatimaye wakafikia makubaliano hayo yenye thamani kubwa mwezi Januari mwaka huu.
Kenya imekuwa ikijitahidi kushughulikia nakisi yake ya biashara na China kwa muda mrefu. Mwaka 2024, thamani ya biashara kati ya China na Kenya ilizidi dola bilioni 8.8 za Kimarekani. Uagizaji wa China kutoka Kenya haswa ni bidhaa za kilimo ikiwa ni pamoja na karanga, kahawa, na chai, pamoja na malighafi za viwandani kama vile vyuma chakavu na madini ya titani. Bidhaa za China zinazouzwa Kenya ni pamoja na vifaa vya umeme na mawasiliano, na mashine za ujenzi. Miundo ya biashara ya nchi hizo mbili ilikuwa sawa na inayosaidiana, hata hivyo, mauzo ya bidhaa za Kenya kwa China yalikuwa chini ya dola milioni 240 za Kimarekani, na kusababisha nakisi kubwa ya biashara.
Sasa, makubaliano hayo yameleta fursa kwa Kenya. Tovuti ya Kenya “Business Today” imechambua kwamba katika miaka miwili ijayo, bidhaa za kilimo za Kenya zikiwemo kahawa, parachichi, maua mabichi, na chai zitashuhudia ukuaji mkubwa katika soko la China. China si kama tu ina soko kubwa, bali pia wateja Wachina wanapendelea bidhaa za kilimo za kijani kibichi, na zenye ubora wa juu.
Wiki moja tu kabla ya makubaliano haya kufikiwa, vyombo vya habari vya Kenya vilifichua habari ya kushangaza. Marekani ilikuwa ikiishinikiza Kenya kuahirisha au kuacha makubaliano hayo, ama sivyo, mazungumzo kati yake na Kenya kuhusu AGOA yataathiriwa. Ikikabiliwa na “wasiwasi” wa Marekani, Kenya imesisitiza kutoegemea upande wowote. Naibu Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje wa Kenya Korir Sing'Oei amejibu kwenye mitandao ya kijamii, akisema, nchi hiyo imefikia mpango wa kufikia soko la China kwa upande mmoja, na itakuza kikamilifu idhini mpya ya AGOA kwa upande mwingine, na kwamba mambo haya mawili hayapingani.
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Kenya has reached a preliminary agreement with China granting tariff-free access to 98.2% of locally produced goods, as authorities move to lift foreign earnings.
The deal, announced on Thursday by the Ministry of Trade, comes as East Africa’s largest economy grapples with a widening trade deficit.
According to the latest Balance of Payments report from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, the country’s trade shortfall topped $9.3 billion (KSh1.2 trillion) in the first nine months of 2025, widening by about $400 million (KSh50 billion) compared with the same period in 2024.
More important than the year-on-year increase is the scale of the imbalance, highlighting Kenya’s heavy reliance on imported goods.
A closer look at the data shows total imports climbed to $16.3 billion (KSh2.1 trillion) between January and September, up from $15.5 billion (KSh2.0 trillion) a year earlier, while revenue from exports slipped to $6.5 billion (KSh846.1 billion), down from $6.6 billion (KSh855.0 billion).
Technically known as an Early Harvest Arrangement, the preliminary deal will allow Kenyan shipments duty-free entry into China while negotiations on a full trade agreement are finalised.
Officials say the move could unlock “vast economic potential” for the coffee-producing nation by boosting export diversification, particularly in agriculture.
“This development is expected to generate considerable employment opportunities and bring tangible benefits to our economy,” the trade ministry said in a statement.
Agriculture remains the mainstay of the East African economy, with food and beverages consistently accounting for the largest share of foreign earnings.
Source: Finance in Africa & Reuters