Kenyan firms urged to explore Chinese market

By MACHARIA KAMAU

Kenyan businesses will over the next couple of days try to strengthen ties with their Chinese counterparts.

The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) will this week tour the Chinese capital of Beijing and hope to make inroads in securing deals with Chinese businesses as they look for markets for local products.

The efforts are expected to play a part in bridging the balance of trade that is heavily skewed in favour of the Asian country.

Businessman Kiprono Kittony, who is also the chairman of KNCCI, said during the visit that the chamber would sign an agreement with its Beijing counterpart with the aim of strengthening trade ties between Chinese and Kenyan entrepreneurs.

“Many business to business matchmaking meetings have been arranged during the visit,” he added.

Kittony said they would discuss ways to take advantage of the 1.3 billion-plus population in China that offers a huge opportunity for Kenyan products, especially agricultural produce like tea, coffee and cut flowers that do well in other markets but have yet to be popularised in China.

Substantial increase

Kenya imported goods worth Sh167 billion from China in 2012, a substantial increase from Sh143.8 billion in 2011.

However, according to the Kenya Economic Survey, Kenya exported goods worth Sh5.4 billion to China.

“Only a very limited variety of Kenyan products enter the Chinese market … ways can be found of addressing this rather unfavourable economic scenario for the mutual benefit of the two countries,” said Kittony.

“Kenyans must make concerted efforts to explore the export opportunities available in the large Chinese market. I am urging Kenyan businesses to visit China and create business linkages with the relevant Chinese business partners.