Kenya has extended its bilateral trade surplus with the UK for the fifth year running, reflecting Nairobi’s growing gains from the commercial and investment deals signed between the two nations after London exited the European Union (EU) six years ago.

A bilateral trade surplus occurs when one country exports more goods and services to a specific partner country than it imports from them, resulting in a positive balance for the exporting nation.

Official data shows that Kenya’s exports to the UK increased by 12 percent or Sh25.47 billion to £1.4 billion (Sh242.66 billion) in the year to September 30, 2025.

Comparatively, Kenya’s imports from the UK increased by 4.5 percent or Sh5.71 billion to £765 million (Sh133.6 billion) in the same period, translating to a surplus of £635 million (Sh110.5 billion).

Kenya recorded the initial trade surplus with the UK of £59 million (Sh10.22 billion) in 2021, just after the two countries signed Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) granting Kenyan goods and services unfettered access to the UK market.

In 2020, the trade between Kenya and the UK posted a surplus of £58 million (Sh10.04 billion) in favour of the UK, which officially exited the EU on January 31, 2020.

According to a report by the UK government’s Trade Department, Kenya’s trade surpluses during the five years (2021-2025) have been sustained by exports of tea, coffee, and horticulture.

Kenya’s top exports to the UK during the period included crude animal and vegetable materials, coffee, tea, cocoa, vegetables and fruit, while its imports from the European nation included cars, refined oil, beverages, tobacco, mechanical power generators, metal ores, and scrap (particularly ferrous waste of iron and steel).

Over the 12 months to September 2025, Kenya’s exports to the UK comprised goods (37 percent) and services (63 percent), with Nairobi ranking as the UK’s 71st largest trading partner, accounting for 0.1 percent of the UK’s total trade.

Kenya’s total trade with the UK grew by 9.2 percent or £180 million (Sh31.19 billion) in the 12 months to September 30, 2025, also marking the fifth consecutive growth in the volume of trade between the two nations.

Read: The two regions in the UK buying most of Kenyan goods

The sustained growth in the volume of trade between the two nations from 2021 to 2025 is largely due to the trade agreements signed by the two countries after the UK exited the EU.

Kenya and the UK signed a bilateral EPA on December 8, 2020, to ensure duty-free and quota-free market access for goods following Brexit.

The deal officially entered into force in March 2021, and safeguards trade for major Kenyan exports like tea, coffee, and flowers, while providing for the gradual tariff reduction on UK goods.

Kenya, in turn, committed to a phased liberalisation of goods from the UK but retained tariffs for some goods deemed sensitive domestically.

The UK–Kenya EPA is open to other East African Community (EAC) member states to join at any time. Article 143 of the trade deal allows any EAC country that is willing to join the deal to make an accession request to the UK-Kenya EPA Council.

The Council would review the impacts of accession and may decide on amending measures that may be required.

The EAC had wanted to negotiate with the UK as a bloc following its exit from the EU. Kenya, however, raced to negotiate a bilateral deal to enable its goods to continue to access the UK market without duty and quotas.

This is because, unlike other EAC member states, which are categorised as least developed, Kenya is categorised as a middle-income country and therefore does not enjoy the same preferential treatment as its EAC partners.

→ janyanzwa@ke.nationmedia.com

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