In order to start your business in Kenya, sourcing products from China can be profitable for you. Because you will get your items at wholesale prices with no compromise on quality.
Therefore, our experts have prepared a complete guide for shipping from China to Kenya. It includes necessary steps, applied taxes, required documents, routes, and the list of controlled goods in Kenya.
How To Import From China To Kenya?
The following steps make it easy for you to understand the process of importing from China to Kenya.
1. Select The Right Product
The first thing is to analyze the market of your city in Kenya in which you want to start your business. After this, you’ll have a general understanding of the products that are trending and those with stable sales graphs throughout the year. According to the experts, you should select a product with a stable sales volume.
This is because you can’t sell seasonal products over the year. After all the choice is yours, you better know what’s beneficial for your business or what’s not. However, if you are a beginner in this field, you should consult with an expert for a good start. As your business grows, you can add more products to your listings to get more revenue.
2. Find a Chinese Sourcing Agent
Once the product research is completed, start researching for a good supplier from China. There are a lot of B2B websites where you can connect with different sellers of your products. The important thing here is clear communication, you have to tell them your requirements about the product.
Plus, you can customize the design according to your brand. It will help you in branding and creating a strong identity for your products. Therefore, it is important to clearly describe everything about your design and ask them to send you their samples. In this way, you can easily check the quality and finalize the right supplier.
3. Incoterm Selection
When the Chinese product seller is finalized, you can make an agreement about the sales and purchase and the shipping responsibilities. The contract that distributes the duties between the seller and buyer for international shipping is called international commercial terms or Incoterms.
It describes whether you want to put everything on the seller or take on some responsibility by yourself. You can choose to hire a freight forwarder independently or have the seller handle this task for you. The decision is based on your budget and your will to handle the tasks yourself.
Because, the more the responsibilities of the seller, the more you have to pay for it. The following incoterms are commonly used to import products from China to Kenya.
- Free On Board Vessel (FOB)
- Ex Works (EXW)
- Delivered At Terminal (DAT)
- Cost, Insurance, and Freight (CIF)
- Delivered Duty Paid (DDP)
4. Shipment Preparation in China
When your products are manufactured, you should ask the supplier to package them properly. They should be packed in standard-sized boxes with padding inside for protection. Moreover, you must label the boxes with the required information.
It includes manufacturing origin, supplier details, number of items per box, handling instructions, buyer’s contact info, and the delivery address. After that, you can send the cargo to the exporting port of China.
5. Cargo Inspection By Chinese & Kenya Authorities
Once your shipment reaches the port of China, it will be inspected by the customs agents of the Chinese authority. They will check the quality, quantity of items, and ensure no prohibited goods are included. Furthermore, they will also verify the cargo against the required documents.
Another thing is that Kenya requires a certificate of conformity for its imports. Therefore, the Kenyan customs authority has appointed 6 companies to inspect goods before importing from China or any other origin country. When they pass the goods through quality testing, they will issue you the conformity certificate to import to Kenya.
6. Cargo Shipping & Tracking
Now, your shipper will begin loading your goods onto the plane or vessel. Once the entire shipment is loaded, the shipping journey from China to Kenya will begin. During the journey, you can track the ship or plane through a tracking tool.
This is an online tool, and its link will be provided by your shipping agent. He or she will also provide you with a tracking number, which you can enter on the tracking page. This will allow you to view the live location of the moving vessel.
7. Cargo Testing by KEBS at Kenya Entry Points
After your cargo reaches the port of Kenya, it will be tested by KEBS. It is the quality testing company of imported goods, referred to as the Kenyan Bureau of Standards. The company takes one sample from your cargo and checks it against their standards.
If the sample does not pass the test, the whole shipment will be sent back to China. Therefore, you should inform your supplier about this when making the agreement. In contrast, if the sample is okay, your cargo will be allowed to enter Kenya.
8. Final Logistics Movement To Your Door
Finally, you can collect your goods from the seaport or airport in Kenya and send them to your appointed location. It may be your storehouse or the Amazon warehouse in case of FBA. You can assign this task to your forwarder or a local carrier.
Import Taxes & Duties In Kenya
In order to clear the customs at Kenya ports, you need to hire a certified declaration agent. The reason is that it has become a requirement for the customs authorities of Kenya to process customs declarations.
As a member of the EAC (East African Community), Kenya applies duties on the basis of the HS product code. It is the international system of classifying goods into different categories, referred to as the Harmonized System. According to this, you have to pay the following tariffs to the customs department at the importing site of Kenya.
- The Customs duties levied on most of your imported goods are zero to 25%. However, it is greater for sensitive items and 100% for some imports.
- The Value Added Tax is 16% of the sum of the cost, insurance, and freight value of your shipment. Some other applied taxes are also included in VAT.
- Excise duties are commonly applied on cigarettes (greater than the allowed amount), alcohol, betting equipment, or tobacco items. It is different for each type of product.
- The customs of Kenya also charge an Import Declaration Fee to release your goods. It is 3.5% of the value of your imported cargo.
- A 2% of the value of your imports is charged as the Railway Development Levy (RDL). It is used in the construction of the railway network for Kenya’s imports and exports.
Additionally, some specified goods are subject to the export and investment promotion levy. It is 10% or 17.5% of the value of imported items.
Required Documents To Ship From China To Kenya
It is important to complete the following documents to clear the customs of China and Kenya.
- Commercial Invoice
- Bill of Lading or Airway Bill
- Packing List
- Certificate of origin
- Export License
In addition to the documents mentioned above, Kenyan customs require additional paperwork to complete the declaration process. These include:
- Purchase Contract
- Certificate of Conformity (only needed in case of controlled or regulated items)
- Taxpayer or Personal Identification Number (PIN certificate)
- Freight invoice (in case of ocean shipping)
- Pro forma invoices (provided by your seller)
- Import Standardization Mark (ISM) (in case of the products affecting health and the environment)
- Import Permit (required for restricted goods)
- Letter of Credit
- Roadworthiness certificate (required for importing motor vehicles)
- Logbook
Your customs broker will submit these documents electronically on the iCMS. It is an integrated customs management system that was introduced in 2021 to speed up the process of customs declaration in Kenya.
4 Modes of Shipping From China To Kenya
The following mediums of transportation are used to ship products from China to Kenya.
Shipping By Air
It is also called air freight and is commonly used to transport expensive shipments. The reason is this is the safest method to ship from China to Kenya. You can transport jewelry, expensive stones, premium metals, mobile phones and accessories, and electronics.
Moreover, temperature-controlled items like pharmaceuticals and perishable food products can also be imported to Kenya by air. Your cargo will reach its destination within a week of loading it on the plane.
One thing that should be kept in mind is air freight will only transport shipments weighing up to 1000 kg. Therefore, you should be careful while preparing your cargo for shipping.
Major Cargo Airlines From China to Kenya
- Ethiopian Airlines
- RwandAir
- Air China
- Qatar Airways
- Kenya Airways
- Emirates
Express Shipping
Express delivery is also done by air, but it is more speedy than standard shipping. You should select this method when you are in an emergency of sending important documents to Kenya. Furthermore, if your inventory is running low, using expedited or express delivery is a better choice.
It will deliver your shipment within 1 to 3 days after processing. Moreover, it can be expensive for you if you don’t have enough investment. Therefore, selecting the right method and making the budget at the right time is important to handle any issue.
Sea Freight
In case your budget is tight and your business needs to import cargo from China, sea shipping is the best option. Because it is the most economical way of cargo shipping from China to Kenya. But here is the limitation of time, you need to begin the shipping process 1 to 2 months before starting your business.
The reason is sea freight takes 20 to 40 days to deliver your cargo at the port of Kenya. Now, there are two modes of ocean shipping: one is FCL, and the other is LCL. The mode you choose depends on the weight and overall dimensions of your shipment.
For heavy cargo, you should select Full Container Load (FCL). It means a 20 or 40-foot container is dedicated to shipping your cargo to Kenya. However, if your shipment is small, LCL is a good choice as it gives you measured space according to your cargo. In this way, one container contains shipments of 3 to 4 or more buyers.
Main Ocean Shipping Agencies From China to Kenya
- Bansarship
- China Shipping Group
- Sinotrans Shipping
- China Ocean Shipping Cargo (COSCO)
- Orient Overseas Container Lines
- Evergreen Marine Corporation
- Nan Fung Group
- China Navigation Company
- MSC Cargo
- China Merchants Energy Shipping
Door to Door Delivery
The process in which your cargo will be carried from the supplier’s store and shipped directly to your door is known as door-to-door delivery. In this shipping mode, your involvement is as good as nothing. You are only required to pay shipping charges and customs duties at the start of the process.
After that, your freight forwarding agent will handle everything on your behalf. As an expert freight forwarder, we will be happy to transport your shipment from China to Kenya.
Major Seaports & Airports For Shipping From China To Kenya
The following trade ports are commonly used to transport cargo to Kenya.
Seaports of China
- The Port of Shenzhen is one of the busiest container ports in the world, with a total of 140 berths. It is the best port for shipping products to Kenya.
- The Port of Hong Kong occupies 279 hectares area with an annual TEU of more than 18 million. It is a deepwater port majorly used for containerized cargo.
- Xiamen Port, formerly known as Amoy Port, is situated on the Island of Xiamen. It is the home to the top 20 shipping companies in the world.
Other major seaports of China include:
- Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan
- Port of Dalian
- Port of Shanghai
- Tianjin Port
- Zhanjiang Port
- Port of Jinzhou
- Yingkou Port
Seaports of Kenya
- Port of Mombasa is the major seaport of Kenya. It is commonly used to receive cargo from Chinese ports. It can handle 2.6 million TEU container traffic annually.
- Lamu Port is under construction but also currently handles large amounts of cargo every year.
Additionally, some other seaports used for importing goods from China include:
- Kilifi Port
- Port of Kiunga
- Port of Kisumu
- Malindi Port
- Port of Shimoni
- Mtwapa Port
Top Chinese Airports For Cargo
- International Airport of Chengdu Shuangliu
- Airport of Beijing Capital
- Shanghai Pudong International Airport
- Airport of Xi’an Xianyang
- Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
- International Zhengzhou Xinzheng Airport
- Shanghai Hongqiao Airport
- International Xiamen Gaoqi Airport
- Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport
- International Airport of Guangzhou Baiyun
Top Cargo Airports of Kenya
- Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
- International Airport of Kisumu
- Wajir International Airport
- Airport of Eldoret
- Moi Airport International
Cost of Importing From China To Kenya
The different methods of shipping have different shipping rates. Below is the estimated shipping cost, but it will increase with time as the fuel prices go higher. Moreover, the charges also depend on the nature and dimensions of your products. You can get basic idea from the following table:
| Shipping Mode | Freight Charges |
| Air Freight | $3 to $6 per kilogram |
| Express Shipping | $6 to $12 per kilogram |
| Ocean Freight – FCL |
|
| Ocean Freight – LCL | $60 to $100 per cubic meter |
| Door-to-Door Delivery (By Sea) | $180 to $200 per cubic meter |
| Door-to-Door Delivery (By Air) | $5 to $10 per kilogram |
Shipping Duration From China To Kenya
As you know, shipping by air is faster than by sea. However, there are other factors that influence the transit time. These include peak seasons, weather changes, route length, national holidays, congested ports, and sometimes customs delays.
Therefore, be patient. If the shipping takes longer than the following duration, contact your freight forwarder to know the reason.
| Shipping Mode | Transit Time |
| Air Freight | 5 to 8 days |
| Express Shipping From China To Kenya | 2 to 5 days |
| Ocean Freight | 20 to 30 days |
| Door-to-Door Delivery (By Sea) | 30 to 40 days |
| Door-to-Door Delivery (By Air) | 10 to 16 days |
Here is the transit time for shipping from primary Chinese ports to the port of Mombasa.
| Chinese Port | Shipping Duration to Mombasa (days) |
| Ningbo Port | 22 to 24 |
| Port of Shanghai | 20 to 22 |
| Xiamen Port | 21 to 23 |
| Port of Qingdao | 22 to 25 |
| Port of Shenzhen | 23 to 28 |
| Tianjin Port | 24 to 29 |
List of Prohibited & Restricted Kenyan Imports
Every country has specific rules about what to import and what to not. It will save them from the importation of illegal goods. You can check those items below.
Prohibited Goods
The following items are strictly banned in Kenya to import from China or any other country.
- Used tyres
- Counterfeit money including notes and coins
- Pornographic material (paintings, cards, books)
- Narcotics
- Hazardous chemicals
- Mercury-containing cosmetic products
- White phosphorus matches
- Charcoal
- Fresh fish (especially Tilapia and Nile Perch)
- Certain industrial chemicals including Polychlorominatel Biphenyls, Polychlorinated Terphyenyls, Crocidolite, Polyuchorinted Biphenyls, and Methylbromide
- Certain agricultural chemicals like Chlordirneform, Methamidophos, DDT, Flouroacelamide, Parathion, HCH, Lindone, etc.
Restricted Items
These products require an import license to gain entrance into any city of Kenya.
- Firearms and specified ammunition
- Historical goods
- Ivory, teeth, and horns of elephants, hippopotamus, and rhinoceros
- Bones, hair, claws, beaks, and nails of animals
- Shells of tortoise
- Corals
- Endangered species of plants and animals
- Ozone-depleting goods
- Genetically modified materials
- Arrows, bows, armored vehicles, and fencing foils
- Optical devices such as telescopes used with arms
Wrapping It Up
We expect this guide will help you find the right product for your business and ship it to any Kenyan location. But if you face difficulties in preparing documents, clearing customs, or anything else, you can contact us for a brief call.
Bansar also provides A-to-Z shipping services, you can fill out this form and connect with our team for more details.
