Kenya’s exports to South Sudan in the first quarter of the year have grown three folds to stand at Kshs 9.07 billion compared to the same period last year, data from Kenya Exports Promotion and Branding Agency shows.

According to Top 25 Export Markets Trends report by KEPROBA, the East African Community member state imports from Kenya surged by 198.9 percent as compared to Kshs 3.03 billion registered between January and March last year.

“The increase was in the exports of edible food preparations, vegetables, processed cereals, flour, and cooking oils and printed matter and motor vehicles.” KEPROBA said.

The rise in exports to South Sudan was only second to the United Arab Emirates whose exports rose by 24.1 percent to stand at Kshs 14.74 billion driven by tea, meat products, vegetables, and petroleum oil products.

However, Uganda still remains Kenya’s top export destination in the first quarter with Kshs 19.95 billion which increased 14.5 percent to account for 10.5 percent of total exports during the period.

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Total exports in the first quarter of 2020 slightly grew by 12.5 percent to stand at Kshs 189 billion from Khs 168.48 billion over the same period in 2019.

Imports similarly grew 0.2 percent to register Kshs 452.52 billion from Kshs 451.44 billion recorded during the same quarter last year.

The balance of trade deficit slightly improved to Kshs 259.20 billion from Ksh 280.80 billion in the period according to KEPROBA.

Despite trade tensions between Kenya and Tanzania, Kenya’s exports to the neighbouring country increased by 6.2 percent from Kshs 7.95 billion last year to Kshs 8.46 billion accounting for 4.5 percent of total exports in the first quarter.

On the other hand, exports to Rwanda surged 42.3 percent from Kshs 4.54 billion to Kshs 6.46 billion to account for 3.4 percent of exports in the duration.

“The increases were due to exports of soaps, cooking oils, pharmaceuticals, sugar confectionery, table salt, and maize, iron, and steel products, and plastics articles” The report indicated.

Kenya’s exports in the first quarter were driven by earnings from tea which increased 8 percent to Kshs 36.19 from Kshs 33.64 billion, horticulture Kshs 36 billion.

Minerals, fuels, oils and products export earnings registered the highest increase of 63 percent to Kshs 22.04 billion from Kshs 13.57 billion registered last year. This could be attributed to exports of oil products under the Early Oil Pilot Scheme which netted Kenya Kshs 1.4 billion. The scheme was concluded in June this year.

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Top export markets for Kenya in the period were Uganda at 10.5 percent, Pakistan 7.5 percent, UK 7.4 percent, the Netherlands 7.4%, and UAE 7.3 percent.

However, Kenya’s exports to two lead markets registered a marginal decrease with the Netherlands registering a 10 percent drop, while exports to USA declined by 1.4 percent.

The report by KEPROBA indicates that the top ten export markets accounted for 62% of all exports in the first quarter compared to 63 percent over the same period last year.

The top 25 export markets accounted for 83 percent and 82 percent of all exports during the period in 2019 and 2020 respectively, an indication of no significant change in the export market structure.

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