The Government of Kenya, in partnership with the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) and key private sector stakeholders, has officially launched the Kenya-European Union Export Catalogue 2026, to boost market access and scale-up industrial value addition under the Kenya-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

The strategic catalogue serves as a comprehensive national directory, detailing Kenya’s diverse production capabilities across key sectors, including horticulture, processed foods, textiles, apparel, leather products, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and building materials.

Designed as a practical business-to-business linkage tool, the directory connects local manufacturers, farmers, and exporters with European buyers, distributors, and prospective international investors.

Principal Secretary (PS) for Trade, Ms. Regina Ombam, highlighted that the directory addresses critical market information gaps, while eliminating historical trade barriers, that have constrained local manufacturers.

“The primary duty of the Government is market access facilitation. This catalogue bridges the critical link between local producers and European buyers, while removing historical challenges such as tariff escalation on value addition,” the PS explained in a speech delivered on her behalf by Trade Secretary, Dr. Michael Mandu.

With duty-free and quota-free entry secured, PS Ombam stressed that Kenya’s private sector must aggressively target the remaining 90 percent of the EU market beyond its traditional agricultural exports.

Representing the Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Abraham Korir Sing’Oei, the Director of Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Mr. Evans Maturu, affirmed that the country’s diplomatic infrastructure is fully aligned to drive measurable trade metrics across international markets.

“Under our national Foreign Policy framework, all Kenyan diplomatic missions abroad, are being transformed into active economic and commercial hubs with specific quantitative targets,” Maturu disclosed.

“This Export catalogue gives our diplomats a concrete instrument, to market Kenyan goods, address non-tariff barriers, and convert bilateral trade agreements into actual export transactions,” he added.

The Kenya-EU EPA, which officially entered into force on July 1, 2024, grants Kenyan products duty-free and quota-free access, to a market of over 450 million consumers with a total economic value of 18.8 trillion euros.

Total bilateral trade between Kenya and the European Union, currently stands at approximately Sh 494 billion, growing at an annual rate of 20 percent. In 2025, Kenyan exports to the European market reached Sh 264 billion.

Speaking at the event, Kenya Association of Manufacturers Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mr. Tobias Alando, emphasized that the catalogue converts bilateral framework agreements into tangible economic opportunities for local enterprises and young job seekers across the nation.

“The agreement allows Kenya to export virtually everything apart from armaments, representing an unprecedented growth window for our manufacturing sector,” Alando stated.

The CEO affirmed that export growth serves as a vital catalyst for overall economic transformation, saying every single export order secured creates a positive ripple effect through job creation, skill acquisition, supply chain development, and expanded revenue for local producers.

Addressing market execution strategies, General Manager of Danish Industry East Africa, Mr. Eric Thomas-Johnson, noted that zero-tariff incentives must be matched with active buyer-seller connections.

“A zero-tariff Policy, carries little practical value if European buyers cannot locate local suppliers,” Thomas-Johnson observed, pointing out that European importers, buy from specific companies rather than nations.

He, therefore, established that the directory provides the exact go-to-market execution strategy, required to connect European buyers directly with verified Kenyan suppliers.

The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA) Director for Export Promotion, Mr. Austin Machesso, confirmed that the Agency will integrate the catalogue into all upcoming outward trade missions and international market exposure programs, to maximize product visibility.

The export catalogue is part of a broader 10-year EPA Implementation Strategy aimed at building the capacity of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to comply with European technical standards, labeling rules, and sustainability requirements.

By Zipporah Odionyi