Sudan lifts 20-month ban on Kenyan tea imports

Kenyan tea exporters can resume targeting Sudan after Khartoum formally lifted a 20-month restriction on tea imports from Kenya, reopening an important overseas market for one of the country's biggest agricultural exports.

The decision was formalised through Ministerial Order No. 25 of 2026, signed by Sudan's Minister of Industry and Trade, Mahasin Ali Yaqoub, on November 8.

It took immediate effect and directs relevant authorities to implement the lifting of the restriction.

President William Ruto welcomed the development on November 11, saying it followed his engagement with Sudanese Prime Minister Kamil Idris during the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) summit in Harare, Zimbabwe.

How the trade dispute started

Sudan imposed the restrictions in March 2025, suspending imports of products originating from Kenya through its ports, airports and land crossings.

The dispute followed Nairobi's decision to host meetings involving Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary organisation fighting the Sudanese Armed Forces in the country's civil war.

In February 2025, RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, popularly known as Hemedti, and allied political groups attended meetings in Nairobi, where they signed a political charter intended to establish a parallel administration in Sudan.

Khartoum viewed Kenya's hosting of the meetings as interference in its internal affairs.

Kenya maintained that it was providing a platform for political dialogue.

The diplomatic fallout affected commercial relations, with tea exporters losing access to Sudanese buyers and traders struggling to redirect consignments already prepared for the market.

How much Kenyan tea was affected?

Official trade figures reported show that Kenya exported 15.9 million kilogrammes of tea to Sudan in 2023, valued at US$29.6 million (approximately Sh3.8 billion).

The volume fell to 7.61 million kilogrammes in 2024, worth US$11.33 million, before declining further to 6.8 million kilogrammes in 2025.

The disruption also left exporters holding substantial stocks.

By August 2026, more than 3.44 million kilogrammes of tea valued at over US$10.3 million were reportedly still sitting in Mombasa warehouses, according to industry accounts.

Some consignments had been specially blended and packaged for Sudanese buyers, making it difficult to find alternative markets.

Particular grades, including BP1, also faced weaker demand from other destinations.

For exporters, the reopening provides an opportunity to reconnect with buyers and work towards clearing stocks accumulated during the restriction.

What happens to Kenya's tea farmers?

Kenya's tea industry relies heavily on export markets.

Tea is sold through established trading channels, with the Mombasa auction serving as a major price-discovery and marketing platform for exporters and buyers.

Restored demand from Sudan could improve the market for traders dealing in grades traditionally purchased by Sudanese importers.

Stronger export orders may also support demand from factories and smallholder farmers supplying the industry.

However, farmers should not expect an immediate increase in payments simply because the restriction has been lifted.

The impact will depend on actual orders, auction demand, export prices and how quickly previous commercial relationships are rebuilt.

Has Sudan reopened all Kenyan exports?

The new order specifically concerns the lifting of the restriction on Kenyan tea imports.

It should not be interpreted as confirmation that every Kenyan product previously affected by Sudan's broader import suspension has automatically regained market access.

The order also does not specify how much tea Sudanese buyers intend to purchase or when the first new consignments will arrive.

For Kenya's exporters, the immediate task is to re-establish supply arrangements, negotiate new orders and coordinate shipments with Sudanese importers.