EXPORTING MADE EASY
Bridging Two Worlds: My Reflections on Kenya–UK Trade Mid-2025
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I look out from my office window in Newcastle, where the River Tyne winds its way out to the North Sea. Container ships and lorries carrying goods to and from the ports remind me daily of the connections between this corner of England and the wider world. As a Kenyan businesswoman based in the North East, I often find myself straddling two realities: the rhythm of British commerce here and the heartbeat of trade back home in Kenya.
This year, more than ever, I’ve felt the promise of deeper trade links between Kenya and the UK—but also the weight of the challenges that exporters, especially smaller businesses and women-led enterprises, still face. With big headlines in London about partnerships and trade deals, the effects ripple all the way up here to the Tyne, Tees, and Wear, where many Kenyan goods arrive before being distributed across Britain.
Recent Developments: Momentum Builds
A number of important trade developments have defined the first half of 2025, and I’ve followed them with close attention—not just as a professional, but as someone who knows what these decisions mean for farmers, families, and entrepreneurs on the ground in Kenya.
Kenya–UK Strategic Partnership Renewed
In late June, President William Ruto and Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed a five-year strategic partnership between Kenya and the UK. The plan is ambitious: double bilateral trade by 2030, while also deepening cooperation in technology, climate resilience, and investment. For those of us working in the supply chain, this kind of clarity signals long-term commitment.
Export Growth to the UK
Since the UK–Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) took effect after Brexit, exports from Kenya have surged by about 64%—reaching $1.43 billion last year. Tea, coffee, avocados, and cut flowers are leading the way, but there’s also growth in manufactured goods and machinery parts.
Tariff Relief in Horticulture
The UK’s suspension of tariffs and inspection fees on Kenyan cut flowers until 2026 is a win. It means our roses, carnations, and lilies—many of which are now distributed through northern hubs—reach supermarkets more competitively priced.
Trade Facilitation Talks
Across 2025, regulators and business leaders have been working on ways to simplify standards, speed up customs, and reduce inspection bottlenecks. From my vantage in Newcastle, I’ve seen how importers here benefit when customs paperwork is streamlined—it reduces delays at Teesport or the Port of Tyne.
Kenya’s Trade Surplus
Kenya has, encouragingly, been exporting more to the UK than it imports. This surplus means our exporters are winning ground, though it also highlights the need to balance imports—especially in machinery, pharmaceuticals, and expertise that Kenya can gain from the UK.
The Friction Beneath the Headlines
Despite progress, there are still serious stumbling blocks—ones I encounter regularly in my own work connecting Kenyan producers to UK markets.
Sanitary & Phytosanitary (SPS) Delays
UK regulations on food safety and plant health remain complicated. A shipment of herbs from Nairobi can be held up at Tyne Dock or Hull for days if paperwork isn’t flawless. For fresh goods with a short shelf life, that delay is the difference between profit and loss.
Logistics & Cold Chains
Infrastructure within Kenya is still fragile. Transporting produce from Meru to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport can be as tricky as getting it from Heathrow to Newcastle. Breakdowns in the cold chain mean wasted produce, which eats into already slim margins.
Currency Volatility
Exchange rate swings between the Kenyan shilling, the dollar, and the pound continue to make pricing unpredictable. For small businesses, hedging is costly, and many simply take the hit.
Certification Burdens
Demands for certifications—Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, organic—often place disproportionate costs on smallholder farmers. In Kenya’s tea industry, the government has even asked factories to consider cutting ties with expensive certification schemes that don’t provide enough return.
Unequal Bargaining Power
UK retailers and distributors, including some in the North East, hold most of the negotiating power. They can push down prices and impose strict terms, leaving Kenyan exporters to shoulder the risks of transport delays or harvest fluctuations.
Where I See Opportunities
From my base in the North East, I see practical opportunities that can make this trade partnership more equal and sustainable.
Value Addition in Kenya
Processing tea, roasting coffee, or packaging herbs in Kenya before shipping would keep more wealth at home. UK consumers increasingly pay for provenance and presentation—something Kenyan businesses can tap into with the right investment.
Better SPS Infrastructure
Kenya needs more investment in labs, testing facilities, and clear regulatory processes. Joint initiatives with UK authorities could help exporters meet standards without costly guesswork.
Finance for Women-Led SMEs
Affordable trade finance is critical. Here in the North East, banks and local enterprise partnerships often support SMEs with export ambitions—Kenya needs something similar, particularly for female entrepreneurs who face steeper barriers.
Diaspora Demand
The Kenyan community in cities like Sunderland, Middlesbrough, and Newcastle is growing. These networks provide a ready market for foods and products that are underrepresented in mainstream supermarkets.
Joint Ventures and Climate Innovation
North East England is becoming a hub for green energy and climate innovation. Partnerships between Kenyan agribusinesses and UK firms could improve irrigation, renewable energy use, and climate resilience—issues central to Kenya’s export industries.
A Week in My Life Here
To illustrate, let me share a glimpse of a recent week:
Monday: Coordinating with Kenyan farmers to prepare a shipment of basil and coriander. Certification was a sticking point; buyers in the UK demanded proof of organic status, and I spent hours negotiating whether a Kenyan certificate would be recognised.
Wednesday: Meeting with a distributor in Gateshead. They loved the idea of stocking specialty Kenyan teas, but margins were tight, and they wanted guarantees on volumes that smallholders back home would struggle to provide.
Friday: A call from Nairobi: one pallet delayed at Mombasa port. I had to explain to my UK buyer that delivery would be late. These moments test relationships and highlight the fragility of cross-continental supply chains.
Yet, on Saturday morning, I saw Kenyan avocados in my local supermarket in Newcastle. They sold out quickly. That moment reminded me why I do this—the demand is real, the opportunity is alive.
Looking Ahead to 2030
If we’re serious about doubling Kenya–UK trade by 2030, I believe three things need to happen:
Streamlined Regulations
Fast-track systems for trusted exporters, clear guidance on SPS requirements, and digital tracking to avoid confusion at ports.
Shared Investment in Infrastructure
Both governments and private investors should back cold storage, logistics, and port modernisation in Kenya. Without these, targets will remain just rhetoric.
Empowering Smallholders & Women Entrepreneurs
Trade growth must not just enrich big companies. Targeted finance, training, and cooperative models can help smaller producers meet export requirements and benefit from global trade.
Closing Reflections
From Newcastle, where North Sea winds carry the smell of industry and trade, I feel both the distance from Kenya and the closeness of our economic ties. Every box of flowers, every sack of tea, every crate of avocados represents not just numbers on a trade balance sheet but stories—of farmers, families, and communities in Kenya, and of consumers and businesses here in the UK.
I remain optimistic. With commitment, smart investment, and fairness, Kenya–UK trade can flourish. For me, as a Kenyan woman in the North East, it’s not just about profit. It’s about building a bridge between two homes—and ensuring that everyone who crosses it benefits.