Kenya’s tea exports to Sudan have diminished further as conflict rages in the Horn of African country. And as it is, that war is reflecting heavily on Kenya’s sales at the Mombasa Tea Auction.

On Thursday, Sudan’s military government said it will no longer allow Kenyan tea, coffee and other products onto its territory, a protest against Nairobi’s hosting of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group that has been fighting the Sudanese army since 2023.

A dispatch from the Sudanese military government’s Ministry of Trade and Supplies said: “Sudan decides to halt all imports from Kenya via airports, seaports and land borders, effective immediately.”Tea had been Kenya’s biggest export to Sudan, earning some $37 million in 2022 before the war. However, after violence that figure has been dropping every year. In 2023, the year of war, Kenya sold $29.6 million worth of tea. The figure dropped to $18 million in 2024.

Officials at the Mombasa Tea Auction said this week the Sudan war is a general reflection of lower sales, indicating how security affects businesses in the region.

Despite market challenges, Kenya recorded a total of $1.65 billion earnings from tea representing a nine percent increase from the marketed value of $1.39 billion recorded in 2023, overall.

However, the war in Sudan, economic restrictions in Iran, security issues in Iraq, economic turmoil in Pakistan and a political issue in Chad are continual threats for the sector this year.

In the Kenya Tea Industry Performance Report 2024 by Kenya Tea Board (KTB), shows sales to Sudan dropped the biggest among traditional big markets, as a result of conflicts.

There are fears of more losses this year following diplomatic issues with Kenya. Sudanese authorities did not say for how long the ban would remain in place.

However, diplomatic sources had already told The EastAfrican Kenya no longer backs a parallel government in Sudan and would only encourage Sudanese entities to hold dialogue to achieve political solution.

Kenya urges Sudanese rivals to join RSF coalitionIn 2024, Kenya tea was shipped to 96 export destinations, compared to 92 in 2023. Pakistan maintained its position as the leading export destination for Kenya tea, having imported 206.27 million kilos, which accounted for 34.7 percent of the total export volume.

Early this month, Kenya’s tea exporters voiced concern about potential blowback from Sudan. The Sudanese government described Kenya’s hosting of RSF, the group which its forces have been fighting in a civil war since March 2023, as an act of hostility against the Sudanese people, vowing to take all necessary measures to redress the balance including banning Kenya tea.

Sudan is ranked among the top 10 markets for Kenyan tea and the standoff could mean a decline in exports to Sudan, impacting trade.

The report published this week noted Chad as an emerging market for direct imports from Kenya. Prior to the war, landlocked Chad would get its import supplies from Sudan.“Due to the blockage of trade routes from Sudan, Chad has now shifted to Nigeria and Cameroon as alternative import transshipment routes,” read the report.

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