China has recently confirmed the import of 54 tonnes of macadamia nuts from Kenya, raising questions given Kenya’s recent ban on the export of raw macadamias.
According to Chinese authorities, the shipment took 30 days to reach Hunan Province and was purchased directly from an African supplier.
Du Xiaohui, Director-General of the Department of African Affairs at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced the arrival of the first batch of nuts this year and indicated that total imports are expected to reach 2,000 tonnes.
Du expressed excitement about the Kenyan product, saying, “Glad to see 54 tonnes of Kenyan macadamia nuts arrived in Hunan, which is the first batch of nut products imported from Africa to Hunan Province this year.
Total imports of this delicious nut are expected to reach 2,000 tons this year. The Chinese market welcomes Kenyan products.”
The announcement, however, came just a few days after Kenya’s Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) issued a notice on July 18 prohibiting the export of raw macadamia nuts.
The AFA explained that several shipments attempting to leave the country had already been stopped at the borders.
The agency said that the ban was meant to protect local businesses that process nuts and to create more jobs within Kenya.
The AFA statement emphasized that the enforcement aligns with the Crops Act of 2013 and the Crops (Nuts and Oil Crops) Regulations of 2020, which are designed to support local nut processing and promote value addition in the country.
Despite the AFA’s announcement, the timing of the Chinese shipment has sparked confusion and debate online. Many Kenyans expressed concern about how the nuts could have been exported when the ban was supposedly in effect.
One user, Mosh Jaseme, asked, “How is this possible when they were prohibited?”
Another netizen, Korir Lang’at, questioned how the Chinese authorities managed to acquire the nuts, noting that “macadamia purchases in Kenya are closed. How did you source them?”
The conflicting reports highlight a challenge in the implementation of the ban and the coordination between trade regulations and actual exports.
While the government aims to strengthen local processing industries and increase job opportunities, shipments like the one to China show that trade can sometimes continue through existing contracts or shipments already underway.
The situation also reflects the growing demand for Kenyan macadamia nuts in international markets, particularly in China, which has become a major consumer of the product.
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