The United States of America (US) government has imposed a 10 percent reciprocal tariff on all Kenyan exports to the US.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, April 2 signed a new executive order implementing a 10% baseline import tariff on goods from 185 countries.
President Trump said the tariffs are aimed at revitalizing domestic manufacturing in the US and ensuring fair trade practices.
However, critics have warned that the tariffs would lead to potential economic instability across the world.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’oei while reacting to the new tariff on Kenyan exports to the US said; “Tariffs imposed on Kenya are still one of the lowest and at the same level as the UK, Egypt, Morocco, Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia. Long term, the solution lies in greater intra-African trade.”
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Kenya currently charges US imports a 10 percent tariff, the reciprocal tariff from the Trump administration is expected to affect Kenya’s trade with the US.
In 2024, Kenya exported goods worth Ksh95 billion ( $737.3 million) to the US, and on the other hand imported goods worth Ksh101 billion ($782.5 million) from the US.
Kenya’s major exports to the US include textiles, horticulture products, leather, coffee, and tea.
Kenya has since 2000 been exempted from tariffs in the US under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
The new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration come at a time when the AGOA agreement is set to expire on September 30, 2025.
Countries slapped with the highest tariffs include: Lesotho (50%), Cambodia (49%), Laos (48%), Madagascar (47%), Vietnam (46%), Sri Lanka, Myanmar (44%) and Bangladesh, Serbia, and Botswana (37%) each.
Meanwhile, China’s Commerce Ministry has opposed the new tariffs by the US government and vowed to countermeasure to safeguard its own rights and interests.
“US tariffs do not comply with international trade rules and seriously harm the legitimate rights and interests of the relevant parties", the Commerce Ministry said.
UK business minister Jonathan Reynolds on his part said that the UK government would remain calm and try to seal an economic deal with the United States which could help mitigate the 10 percent tariff imposed on British exports to the US.
