Kenya’s volume of trade rose from KSh 303.9 billion in December to KSh 336.2 billion in January 2024 according to the latest figures from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics(KNBS).
- •Total value of exports rose from KSh 84.2 billion to KSh 91.7 billion.
- •Total value of imports increased from KSh 219.7 billion to KSh 244.6 billion over the same period.
- •Kenya’s top exports are tea, cut flowers, coffee, titanium ore, and tropical fruits, mostly to the United States, Uganda ($677M), Pakistan ($541M), Netherlands ($502M), and Rwanda ($439M).
In January 2024, Uganda and the USA emerged as Kenya’s major trading partners for exports with values of KSh 8.6 billion and KSh 7.3 billion, respectively. During the same period, food and beverages comprised 45.3 percent, while non-food industrial supplies constituted 25.7 percent of the total exports.
In December 2023, the United States exported $ 44.8 million and imported $ 39.1 million from Kenya, resulting in a positive trade balance of $5.73 million. Between December 2022 and December 2023, the exports of the United States have increased by $18.6 million (71.1%) from $26.2 milllion to $44.8Million, while imports decreased by $42.2Million, or 51.9%decline from $81.4Million to $39.1Million
The top exports of the United States to Kenya include Aircraft Parts, Commodities, Ethylene Polymers, Sulfate Chemical Wood pulp, and Vinyl Chloride Polymers.
Nairobi’s exports to the USA in December 2023 included Non-Knit Men’s Suits, Knit Women’s Undergarments, Non-Knit Women’s Suits ($5.35M), Other Nuts ($4.29M), and Coffee ($3.44M).
Kenya’s main origins of imports place China as the leading importing partner with a value of KSh 44.7 billion, followed by India with a value of KSh 28.6 billion in January 2024.
Kenya’s leading import category was non-food industrial supplies, accounting for 35.2 percent of the total imports in January 2024.
Fuel and lubricants constituted 23.1 percent of the total imports, while Food and beverages constituted 10.6 percent of the total imports during the same period.
Kenya’s monthly Leading Economic Indicators report by the KNBS highlights changes in Consumer Price Indices, inflation rates, interest rates, and exchange rates. In addition, the report details changes in selected indicators of international trade, agriculture, energy, manufacturing, construction, tourism, and transport.
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