How to Import from China to Kenya in 2026: KRA PIN, Certificate of Origin, Export Declaration and Taxes

TL;DR

• To import commercially you need a KRA PIN and a licensed customs agent, who files the entry in iCMS. VAT registration is mandatory above KES 5 million turnover a year.
• Two document rules changed in the last 15 months: a certificate of origin is required for every import since 1 July 2025, and since 1 September 2026 the importer must obtain and keep the Chinese export declaration for five years.
• Regulated products need a PVoC Certificate of Conformity before they ship.
• Taxes on top of duty: VAT 16%, import declaration fee 2.5%, railway development levy 2%. A finished product with 25% duty ends up at about 49.5% of CIF value.
• By sea, plan for about five to six weeks door to door to Nairobi; by air, about two weeks. Rules as checked on 6 October 2026.

Step 1. Register as an importer

Kenya does not have a separate importer licence. What you need is a KRA PIN, and once your turnover passes KES 5 million a year, VAT registration. VAT-registered businesses issue electronic invoices through eTIMS and can claim the import VAT they pay as input tax.

The entry itself is filed by a licensed customs agent in iCMS, KRA’s customs system. KRA’s list for 2026 to 2028 has 1,393 licensed agents. The agent submits the declaration, the import declaration form (IDF) and the supporting documents, calculates the taxes and handles release from the port or airport.

Step 2. Get the documents right before the goods leave China

The two new rules are aimed at undervaluation. Business Daily reported that KES 629 billion of China’s 2025 exports to Kenya did not appear in KRA’s data, a gap experts link to undervalued and misdeclared goods inside consolidated containers. The export declaration gives KRA the value declared on the Chinese side.

Step 3. Calculate duty and taxes

Kenya applies the EAC common external tariff to Chinese goods without preferences: 0% for raw materials, 10% for intermediate goods, 25% or 35% for finished goods, and more for sensitive items. For the year from 1 July 2026, the EAC gazette keeps phones at 25%, televisions and bags at 35%, raises diapers to 35% and makes furniture a sensitive item at 45% for Kenya.

On top of duty come three charges on customs value:

Our calculation from those official rates, before any excise:

Some products also carry excise, for example packaging, glass bottles and tiles since the Finance Act 2025. Check the exact HS code before you pay your supplier: the difference between two neighbouring codes can be bigger than the whole freight bill.

Step 4. Small parcels

KRA publishes no duty-free threshold for parcels. Postal parcels up to USD 1,000 or KES 100,000 and 70 kg are assessed under a simplified procedure at the post office, but duty, VAT and levies still apply. Courier shipments are taxed the same way, and commercial shipments above the postal limits need a full entry through an agent.

Step 5. Plan the transit

Two risks to plan around. Mombasa has had congestion since 2025, and an iCMS upgrade on 7 to 9 February 2026 ran until 11 February, with truck queues of more than 2 km at the port gates. From 15 June 2026 Maersk added a surcharge of USD 1,000 per 20-foot and USD 2,000 per 40-foot container from China and Hong Kong to Kenya, so full-container prices moved up mid-year.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Shipping without a certificate of origin. Since 1 July 2025 that alone can stop the declaration.
2. Declaring a lower value than the Chinese export declaration. Since 1 September 2026 KRA can compare the two.
3. Forgetting PVoC for regulated products. Without a Certificate of Conformity the goods are inspected at the port at your cost.
4. Using a consolidator without checking its status. All consolidators had to re-register with KRA by 15 October 2026; see our guide to Kenya’s 2026 consolidated cargo rules.

How Cargix handles Kenya

We receive goods from your suppliers at our warehouses in Guangzhou and Yiwu, check and consolidate them, arrange the certificate of origin and the export declaration on the China side, and ship by sea or air. Customs clearance in Kenya is done by our licensed partner, and each quote states what is included: duties and taxes, and delivery to your door or pickup at the warehouse. Route details are on our China to Kenya page.