NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya’s international trade cooled in early 2025, with exports and imports both taking a dip.
According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, export earnings dropped by 6.9% to Sh 276.7 billion, down from Sh 297.3 billion during the same period in 2024.
Africa remained Kenya’s biggest export market. It accounted for nearly 37% of outbound goods.
But exports to the continent shrunk by 10.1%. Major buyers like Egypt, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and DRC reduced their intake sharply.
“Exports to Burundi and South Africa increased by 46.9 per cent and 7.5 per cent, respectively, over the review period,” the report noted in part.
Exports to Asia dropped by 17.7%, mostly because of falling tea shipments and lower fuel re-exports to the Gulf.
Europe and the U.S. also saw declines of 10.4% and 9.7%. But Kenya’s coffee found new strength in Belgium, where export values grew.
On the flip side, import spending fell by 4.5% to Sh 652.3 billion.
Europe, America, and African countries sent less into Kenya. But Asian imports surged, especially from China, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
The region made up over two-thirds of Kenya’s total imports.
The report explained, “Imports from Saudi Arabia more than doubled largely due to increased importation of petroleum products.”
