African nations earned Sh512.5 billion from sales to China in the first seven months of 2025, according to data released in Beijing.
The figure represents a 10.2 per cent rise compared with last year, a jump largely credited to China’s decision to abolish tariffs on a range of imports.
The policy change has unlocked access to agricultural produce.
Du Xiaohui, Director-General of the Department of African Affairs at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said products such as Kenyan avocados, Ethiopian Arabica coffee, and Cameroonian cocoa are now reaching the Chinese market at lower costs and stronger margins.
Kenya’s nut industry offers a clear example of the shift. In August, the country sent 54 tons of macadamias to Hunan Province, the first consignment of the year.
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Shipments are forecast to grow to 2,000 tons before December.
Officials note that demand is being fuelled by China’s expanding middle class, which has created space for both raw in-shell nuts and processed exports.
Kenya, ranked as the world’s third-largest macadamia producer, is positioning itself to capitalise fully on this demand.
The announcement by President William Ruto that China had agreed to remove tariffs on all Kenyan exports, including tea, coffee, and avocados, has further raised expectations for the country’s agricultural sector.
Observers believe the arrangement will allow Kenya to reduce reliance on its traditional buyers while widening its export base.
Beyond agriculture, customs data shows trade between the two countries remains on an upward path.
In the first quarter of 2025, goods worth Sh287.1 billion were exchanged.
Kenyan sales into China expanded by 13.2 per cent, slightly outpacing the 11.8 per cent growth in Chinese exports to Kenya.
It was the sixth consecutive quarter of growth in bilateral trade.
Analysts argue that with tariff barriers dismantled, Africa’s producers are better placed to tap into China’s vast consumer market, shifting the continent’s trade balance towards greater diversification.
