(Bloomberg) -- China signed accords with Kenya that will allow access for farm produce from the East African nation, a presidential aide said.
“After a week of delicate negotiations, formal sanitary and phytosanitary agreements have been signed between Kenya and China for Kenya's agricultural produce to enter the Chinese market,” the president's chief of staff, Nzioka Waita, said on Twitter.
Kenya can now ship its biggest farm produce: flowers, vegetables such as green beans and fruits including avocado and mangoes, to the world's most populous nation. Other produce with approval to enter China include meat, macadamia nuts, hides and skins, Waita said.
President Uhuru Kenyatta said this week his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreed to correct a trade imbalance as Kenya announced a halt on fish imports from Jan. 1. The ban amounted to a trade war, China's ambassador warned.
China is Kenya's biggest trading partner, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The East African nation's exports to China amounted to $167 million last year, while imports were $3.78 billion. The Asian nation accounted for 17.2 percent of Kenya's trade with the world, the Kenyan president's office said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Ramah Nyang in Nairobi at rnyang2@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Paul Richardson at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net, Helen Nyambura, Hilton Shone
©2018 Bloomberg L.P.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
