Kenyan exporters: China's zero tariff runs to 30 April 2028, and goods must meet origin rules

China's General Administration of Customs issued the origin rules for zero-tariff imports from 20 African countries, including Kenya, in Announcement 2026 No. 54, dated 28 April, three days before the measures took effect on 1 May.

The State Council Tariff Commission's Announcement 2026 No. 5, also dated 28 April, applies the zero rate to the 20 African countries that have diplomatic ties with China and are not least developed countries, from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2028. China's Ministry of Commerce said on 28 April that the other 33 least developed countries with ties would stay under the zero-tariff treatment set by Tariff Commission Announcement 2024 No. 9. Together the two groups make up the 53 African countries covered.

Under Article 3, a product qualifies as originating if it meets one of three conditions, together with the measures' other requirements. It is wholly obtained or produced in one of the 20 countries; it is produced there wholly from originating materials; or it is made there with non-originating materials and either falls under the product-specific rules in Annex 1 and meets the required change of tariff classification or other rule, or falls outside those product-specific rules and has a regional value content of at least 40%.

For goods that qualify through a change of tariff classification, non-originating materials that do not meet the rule are disregarded if their value, worked out under Article 6, is no more than 10% of the goods' free-on-board (FOB) price and the goods meet all other requirements (Article 8).

Article 14 says originating goods shipped from an African country to China keep their status if they do not pass through other countries or regions. If they do, they keep it only if the transit was for geographical reasons or transport needs, the goods were not processed beyond unloading, loading or keeping them in good condition, they stayed under the customs control of those places, and any temporary storage did not exceed six months.

The certificate of origin must be issued by a body authorised by the African country, on application by the exporter or producer (Article 15). It must carry a unique number, cover one or more goods in the same shipment batch, state the basis for origin, bear a signature or seal matching the security features that the country's authorities have notified to China's customs, and be completed in English. It must be issued before or at shipment and is valid for one year from the date the exporting country issues it (Article 16). If force majeure, an unintentional error, an oversight or another reasonable cause prevented that, a certificate can be issued within one year after shipment, marked "ISSUED RETROSPECTIVELY", and is valid for one year from the shipment date. A batch of originating goods with a dutiable value of no more than US$1,000 can skip the certificate (Article 21).

The importer in China must keep records proving origin for three years after customs clearance (Article 23). The preferential rate does not apply if the importer did not claim it before customs formalities were completed and did not make a supplementary declaration as the measures allow, or if the certificate does not comply with the measures or does not match the goods actually imported. Customs can ask the importer, exporter or producer for more information, or ask the African authorities to verify (Article 22). The rate is also denied if no verification reply reaches customs within six months of the request, or the reply is not enough to establish the certificate's authenticity or the goods' origin (Article 24).

Capital FM reported on 12 May that Kenyan tea exports to China attracted a 15% tariff before the arrangement took effect.

Officials said priority was being given to helping firms register with China's customs authority, comply with labelling rules in Chinese and secure the necessary export documentation, The Star reported on 1 May. In a statement, the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry acknowledged that many exporters, particularly small and medium enterprises, risk missing out because of limited awareness, certification gaps and compliance hurdles. The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA) was expected to play a central role in training exporters, facilitating certifications and linking businesses to Chinese buyers. Investments, Trade and Industry Cabinet Secretary Lee Kinyanjui said, as quoted by The Star: "The opportunity is significant, but preparedness will determine who benefits."

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said at a reception at the Chinese embassy in Nairobi on 30 September that Kenya was ready to begin comprehensive negotiations with China under the China-Africa Development Economic Partnership Agreement (CADEPA), The Star reported on 1 October.

Regina Ombam, Principal Secretary in the State Department for Trade, said in an interview with Xinhua, published in Chinese on 20 August and carried in English by the Ghana News Agency on 25 August: "Everybody says Kenyan tea is good quality; Kenyan tea is the best." She added that "taking tea to China was really another big plus for us given the big market that we were looking at."