- President Ruto met with Zhang Chaobin, head of one of China’s top tea companies.
- Talks focused on increasing Kenyan orthodox and specialty tea exports to China.
- China’s Benny Tea Industries showed interest in sourcing more tea from Kenya.
- Plans are underway to build new orthodox tea factories in Kenyan tea zones.
- The deal supports Kenya’s wider trade goals with China on tea, coffee, and fruits.
Kenya moved closer to securing a bigger space in China’s growing tea market following key talks held in Beijing. President William Ruto met with Zhang Chaobin, Chairman of Fuzhou Benny Tea Industries, a leading Chinese tea firm, to explore ways of expanding exports of Kenyan orthodox and specialty teas.
Opening the Chinese Market to Kenyan Teas
The meeting focused on boosting access for Kenyan value-added teas to Chinese buyers. Kenya is banking on its rich-quality leaves and favorable climate to position its orthodox teas as top-tier exports, especially in Asia where the demand for specialty teas is rising.
Whole Sector Involvement in Trade Push
In a show of unified effort, officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, KTDA, and the Tea Board of Kenya were present. This signals a full-sector strategy to expand exports and make Kenya’s tea globally competitive.
China Shows Strong Interest in Kenya’s Tea
Chairman Zhang confirmed his interest in sourcing a significant portion of Benny Tea’s yearly orthodox tea needs from Kenya. He praised Kenya’s tea quality and pledged to support the country’s farmers by partnering in trade and investment.
Factories to Be Built in Kenya for Local Processing
In a major boost to local industry, Zhang also committed to investing in modern orthodox tea processing plants in selected tea-producing regions of Kenya. This will help increase value addition at the source and improve earnings for smallholder farmers.
Part of a Larger Trade Agenda
The tea deal forms part of Kenya’s wider effort to strengthen trade with China. Besides tea, other key products such as coffee, avocado, and macadamia are also being pushed into the Chinese market through similar partnerships.
The latest developments reflect Kenya’s clear intention to turn agriculture into a global trade driver, with tea taking the lead in unlocking international market value.
