Kenya has on Wednesday 5th October flagged off value added tea for export to Accra, Ghana, making Tea the second export commodity exported to Ghana after Manufactured Exide batteries on September 23rd, 2022.

Kenya’s value-added tea export is under the AfCFTA Initiative on Global Guided Trade which is a pilot project to test export readiness among the seven chosen nations which are Egypt, Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania, Cameroon and Mauritius.

Kenya’s exports to Ghana averaged a value of USD 8.5 million between 2017 - 2021. The balance of trade has been in favour of Kenya by an average value of USD 6.2 million and a total trade of USD 14.7 million in 2021. With the commencement of Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Kenya’s exports to West African region will increase in volume due to minimal trade barriers as with the AfCFTA.

Kenya has identified key products for the pilot phase of the initiative that include Avocados, Fresh produce, Tea, Textiles, Exide batteries, Leather bags, Vehicular filters, Sisal fibre, Beaded products, Confectionery and Incinerators.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) brings together all 55 African nations with a combined GDP of US $3.4 Trillion and a market of more than 1.3 billion people.

Speaking during the flag off, Kenya’s President William Ruto said that Kenya will work with all partners in the continent under the AfCFTA to grow our exports.  President Ruto said that Small-scale farmers remain the pride of Kenya’s tea exports and the government will support the production of tea, tea value addition and eliminate trade barriers that hinder tea exports across Kenya's export value chain.