Summary
- Exports
- $8.8billion
- Imports
- $22.2billion
- Trade balance
- -$13.4billion
Products
What it exports
Tea (16.3%) and cut flowers (10%) together make up 26.3% of its exports.
What it imports
Refined petroleum (18.5%) and palm oil (3.9%) together make up 22.4% of its imports.
Its products
Destinations and sources of its products that have their own page.
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $1.8 billion | $28 million |
| 06 · Live plants and flowers | $967 million | $10 million |
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $832 million | $4.8 billion |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $432 million | $42 million |
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $336 million | $85 million |
| 07 · Vegetables | $323 million | $82 million |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $291 million | $174 million |
| 15 · Fats and oils | $263 million | $1 billion |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $204 million | $44 million |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $190 million | $786 million |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $161 million | $734 million |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $161 million | $99 million |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $159 million | $79 million |
| 39 · Plastics | $158 million | $1.1 billion |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $157 million | $15 million |
| 21 · Food preparations | $148 million | $128 million |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $133 million | $33 million |
| 24 · Tobacco | $127 million | $18 million |
| 74 · Copper | $118 million | $70 million |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $115 million | $99 million |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $105 million | $1.3 billion |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $104 million | $1.9 billion |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $104 million | $473 million |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $90 million | $153 million |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $89 million | $318 million |
| 87 · Vehicles | $78 million | $1.4 billion |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $72 million | $159 million |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $65 million | $249 million |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $58 million | $64 million |
| 53 · Other plant fibers | $57 million | $5 million |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $54 million | $130 million |
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $51 million | $9 million |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $51 million | $198 million |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $47 million | $327 million |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $43 million | $410 million |
| 76 · Aluminum | $43 million | $130 million |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $38 million | $220 million |
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $38 million | $8 million |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $36 million | $67 million |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $34 million | $113 million |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $32 million | $21 million |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $32 million | $306 million |
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $31 million | $326 million |
| 41 · Hides and leather | $27 million | $3 million |
| 69 · Ceramics | $26 million | $154 million |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $26 million | $5 million |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $25 million | $61 million |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $24 million | $84 million |
| 64 · Footwear | $22 million | $235 million |
| 10 · Cereals | $21 million | $1.2 billion |
| 67 · Feathers and artificial flowers | $21 million | $4 million |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $21 million | $113 million |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $18 million | $48 million |
| 01 · Live animals | $18 million | $18 million |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $16 million | $5 million |
| 70 · Glass | $16 million | $85 million |
| 44 · Wood | $15 million | $130 million |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $14 million | $13 million |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $12 million | $41 million |
| 55 · Synthetic staple fibers | $9 million | $213 million |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $7 million | $368 million |
| 79 · Zinc | $7 million | $17 million |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $6 million | $60 million |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $6 million | $241 million |
| 40 · Rubber | $6 million | $297 million |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $5 million | $53 million |
| 80 · Tin | $5 million | $1 million |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $5 million | $35 million |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $4 million | $66 million |
| 46 · Wicker and basketware | $4 million | $318 thousand |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $4 million | $32 million |
| 65 · Hats | $4 million | $19 million |
| 52 · Cotton | $3 million | $79 million |
| 89 · Ships and boats | $2 million | $10 million |
| 51 · Wool | $2 million | $661 thousand |
| 97 · Art and antiques | $2 million | $1 million |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $1 million | $33 million |
| 14 · Other plant products | $1 million | $2 million |
| 05 · Other animal products | $1 million | $2 million |
| 60 · Knitted fabric | $937 thousand | $200 million |
| 54 · Synthetic filaments | $859 thousand | $246 million |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $698 thousand | $6 million |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $673 thousand | $213 million |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $665 thousand | $40 million |
| 66 · Umbrellas and canes | $646 thousand | $5 million |
| 78 · Lead | $481 thousand | $2 million |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $465 thousand | $30 million |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $266 thousand | $6 million |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $218 thousand | $32 million |
| 81 · Other base metals | $138 thousand | $5 million |
| 43 · Fur and fur goods | $125 thousand | $291 thousand |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $112 thousand | $3 million |
| 75 · Nickel | $43 thousand | $821 thousand |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $33 thousand | $40 million |
| 50 · Silk | $18 thousand | $108 thousand |
| 45 · Cork | $0 | $131 thousand |
Trading partners
Its main destination is Uganda (9.8% of exports) and its main source is China (25.1% of imports).
Who it sells to
| Partner | Value (USD millions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uganda | 860 | 9.8% | Land |
| United States | 834 | 9.5% | Sea |
| United Arab Emirates | 754 | 8.6% | Sea |
| Netherlands | 642 | 7.3% | Sea |
| Pakistan | 552 | 6.3% | Sea |
| United Kingdom | 534 | 6.1% | Sea |
| Tanzania | 434 | 4.9% | Land |
| Rwanda | 315 | 3.6% | Sea |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 236 | 2.7% | Sea |
| Egypt | 232 | 2.6% | Sea |
Who it buys from
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 5.6 | 25.1% | Sea |
| United Arab Emirates | 2.5 | 11.3% | Sea |
| India | 2.1 | 9.3% | Sea |
| United States | 1.1 | 5.2% | Air |
| Malaysia | 1 | 4.5% | Sea |
| Japan | 0.8 | 3.6% | Sea |
| Russia | 0.59 | 2.7% | Sea |
| South Africa | 0.57 | 2.6% | Sea |
| Oman | 0.53 | 2.4% | Sea |
| Kuwait | 0.48 | 2.2% | Sea |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, Kenya accounted for 0.04% of world exports, compared with 0.03% in 1995.
Exports and imports
Exports grew 5.4-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 8.8
- Imports 22.2
- Balance -13.4
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $1.6 billion | $2.6 billion | -$956 million |
| 1996 | $1.8 billion | $2.4 billion | -$551 million |
| 1997 | $2.2 billion | $3.8 billion | -$1.6 billion |
| 1998 | $2.2 billion | $3.8 billion | -$1.5 billion |
| 1999 | $2 billion | $3.2 billion | -$1.2 billion |
| 2000 | $2 billion | $3.4 billion | -$1.4 billion |
| 2001 | $2.1 billion | $4.6 billion | -$2.4 billion |
| 2002 | $2.1 billion | $3.7 billion | -$1.6 billion |
| 2003 | $2.9 billion | $4.1 billion | -$1.3 billion |
| 2004 | $3.2 billion | $3.8 billion | -$551 million |
| 2005 | $3.9 billion | $6.8 billion | -$3 billion |
| 2006 | $4 billion | $8.3 billion | -$4.2 billion |
| 2007 | $4.8 billion | $10 billion | -$5.2 billion |
| 2008 | $5.8 billion | $12.6 billion | -$6.8 billion |
| 2009 | $4.9 billion | $11.4 billion | -$6.4 billion |
| 2010 | $5.5 billion | $13.2 billion | -$7.6 billion |
| 2011 | $5.2 billion | $12.7 billion | -$7.6 billion |
| 2012 | $5.6 billion | $16.3 billion | -$10.7 billion |
| 2013 | $7 billion | $17.8 billion | -$10.9 billion |
| 2014 | $6.4 billion | $19.9 billion | -$13.5 billion |
| 2015 | $6.8 billion | $18 billion | -$11.3 billion |
| 2016 | $6.3 billion | $15.7 billion | -$9.4 billion |
| 2017 | $6.5 billion | $18.3 billion | -$11.9 billion |
| 2018 | $7.1 billion | $19.4 billion | -$12.3 billion |
| 2019 | $7.1 billion | $18.7 billion | -$11.6 billion |
| 2020 | $7 billion | $16.9 billion | -$9.9 billion |
| 2021 | $7.8 billion | $20.6 billion | -$12.8 billion |
| 2022 | $8.8 billion | $22.7 billion | -$14 billion |
| 2023 | $8.7 billion | $20.6 billion | -$12 billion |
| 2024 | $8.8 billion | $22.2 billion | -$13.4 billion |
World rank
Kenya fell from 95th to 109th among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 95th in 1995
- 109th in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 95th |
| 1996 | 99th |
| 1997 | 94th |
| 1998 | 89th |
| 1999 | 95th |
| 2000 | 108th |
| 2001 | 106th |
| 2002 | 107th |
| 2003 | 97th |
| 2004 | 107th |
| 2005 | 102nd |
| 2006 | 109th |
| 2007 | 108th |
| 2008 | 107th |
| 2009 | 106th |
| 2010 | 107th |
| 2011 | 117th |
| 2012 | 115th |
| 2013 | 107th |
| 2014 | 110th |
| 2015 | 100th |
| 2016 | 102nd |
| 2017 | 105th |
| 2018 | 106th |
| 2019 | 106th |
| 2020 | 106th |
| 2021 | 110th |
| 2022 | 110th |
| 2023 | 110th |
| 2024 | 109th |
What it sells
Its top export group is still coffee, tea and spices: 20% in 2024
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 41%
- Fats and oils 3%
- Woven clothing 3%
- Vegetables 4%
- Knitted clothing 4%
- Fruit and nuts 5%
- Oil, gas and coal 9%
- Live plants and flowers 11%
- Coffee, tea and spices 20%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee, tea and spices | 36.6% | 20.1% |
| Live plants and flowers | 6.8% | 11% |
| Oil, gas and coal | 1.4% | 9.4% |
| Fruit and nuts | 1.8% | 4.9% |
| Knitted clothing | 0.35% | 3.8% |
| Vegetables | 4.5% | 3.7% |
| Woven clothing | 2.5% | 3.3% |
| Fats and oils | 0.68% | 3% |
| Other | 45.4% | 40.9% |
Who it trades with
China went from 2% to 19% of Kenya's trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- China 19%
- United Arab Emirates 11%
- India 7%
- United States 6%
- Uganda 4%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| China | 2.5% | 18.6% |
| United Arab Emirates | 0% | 10.5% |
| India | 6.1% | 7.2% |
| United States | 5% | 6.4% |
| Uganda | 5.4% | 4.2% |
Production hubs
Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)
No hubs above the globe threshold.
View on the globeSources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- Climate TRACE · CC BY 4.0 (emissions by asset; the 3 largest per country are shown)
- Kummu et al., gridded GDP · CC BY 4.0 (hubs aggregated by this site)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
Methodology
Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Ranks are computed among the countries with data each year. Services are not included. Data up to 2024.