Kenya raises EAC customs duties on furniture, nappies and bags
The East African Community Council of Ministers has raised, effective 1 July 2026, customs duties on several categories of consumer goods commonly imported from Asia into Kenya. Furniture rises from 35% to 45%, and baby nappies and handbags from 25% to 35%.
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According to a briefing published by KPMG on the reform of the East African Community (EAC) common external tariff for fiscal year 2026/2027, the EAC Council of Ministers adopted, with effect from 1 July 2026, a revision of this tariff. In Kenya, the customs duty applicable to imported furniture rises from 35% to 45%, while baby nappies and handbags rise from 25% to 35%.
The EAC common external tariff has four main bands (0%, 10%, 25% and 35%), to which higher rates are now added for certain categories deemed sensitive for local production. As China is not an EAC member, Chinese goods entering Kenya are subject to the full rate, with no tariff preference, which makes these increases directly applicable to imports from China.
The measure took effect on 1 July 2026 and applies to any import declaration lodged after that date. The KPMG briefing consulted does not mention a transition period for orders already in transit before 1 July 2026.
Kenyan importers and distributors of furniture, baby care items (nappies) and leather goods who buy in China are affected, including small and medium-sized businesses bringing in a groupage container covering several product lines.
What it changes for an importer
A Kenyan importer of Chinese furniture or baby care items must now recalculate their landed cost with a customs duty 10 points higher, which cuts their margin or forces them to revise their selling price. Sorva can help compare several factories and check the tariff classification of the product with the client, but does not set the applicable duty rate and does not clear the goods through Kenyan customs, a step that remains the responsibility of the importer or their local customs agent.
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