How long does air freight from China to Kenya take?

About 11 days from our Guangzhou warehouse to Nairobi for general goods, and about 16 days for goods with batteries.

Do I need a certificate of origin to import from China into Kenya?

Yes. Since 1 July 2025 Kenya requires a valid certificate of origin for every import, and since 1 September 2026 the importer must also keep the Chinese export declaration. We arrange both on the China side.

How much does shipping from China to Kenya cost?

Air to Nairobi costs USD 16.10 per kg under 100 kg, USD 15.70 from 100 kg and USD 15.40 from 500 kg, with a minimum of USD 115 per shipment. Consolidated sea costs USD 630 per cubic metre under 1 m³, USD 615 from 1 m³ and USD 600 from 5 m³ for general goods. Customs clearance is included; prices as of 11 October 2026.

China to Kenya shipping: sea and air freight, customs rules (2026)

Q: What taxes do I pay on imports into Kenya?

Import duty under the EAC tariff, VAT 16%, the import declaration fee of 2.5% and the railway development levy of 2% of customs value. For finished goods with 25% duty the total is about 49.5% of CIF value.

How it works

01

Tell us what you are buying: product, quantity, weight or dimensions, and your suppliers.
02

We confirm the route, the transit time and what is included for Kenya.
03

Your suppliers deliver to our warehouse in Guangzhou or Yiwu. We check and consolidate the cargo.
04

We ship by sea or air. Our licensed partner clears customs in Kenya and delivers as agreed in the quote.

Air freight

Route	General goods	Goods with batteries
Guangzhou to Nairobi (NBO)	about 11 days	about 16 days

Air cargo is cleared through customs at destination by our partner line and charged on the greater of actual and volumetric weight. Goods with batteries travel on a separate service, so tell us about them before booking.

Air freight prices

USD per chargeable kg	Under 100 kg	100 to 499 kg	500 kg and more
Nairobi, all goods	USD 16.10	USD 15.70	USD 15.40

Minimum charge USD 115 per shipment. Prices from our warehouse in Guangzhou, customs clearance at destination included.

Sea freight

Consolidated LCL from Guangzhou and Yiwu on the same terms. Minimum 0.3 m³; each m³ covers up to 800 kg, heavier cargo is charged by weight. We confirm the sailing date and the transit time in your quote.

Sea freight prices

USD per chargeable m³	Under 1 m³	1 to 4.99 m³	5 m³ and more
General goods	USD 630	USD 615	USD 600
Yiwu special items, Guangzhou building materials	USD 610	USD 595	USD 585
Clothing and fabrics	USD 745	USD 725	USD 710

Minimum charge USD 190 per shipment, for the minimum volume of 0.3 m³.

Customs and documents in Kenya

Rules as checked on 6 October 2026. They change often, so we confirm them for your product before you pay your supplier.

Certificate of origin

Under the Finance Act 2025, from 1 July 2025 no goods may be imported into Kenya without a valid certificate of origin from the country of manufacture. Without it KRA does not accept the declaration and the goods can be seized.

Chinese export declaration

Under the Finance Act 2026, from 1 September 2026 the importer must obtain the export declaration of the country of export and keep it for five years. For goods from China this is the Chinese customs export declaration.

Certificate of conformity

Regulated products need a Certificate of Conformity under the KEBS PVoC programme before they ship. New PVoC contracts started in 2026. Tell us the product and we check whether it needs one.

Taxes

Kenya applies the EAC common external tariff, from 0% up to 100% and averaging about 25%, plus VAT 16%, the import declaration fee of 2.5% and the railway development levy of 2% of customs value. For a finished product with 25% duty that adds up to about 49.5% of CIF value.

Consolidated cargo

Kenya has a simplified route for consolidated cargo of small traders, run through licensed consolidators. In September 2026 the government ordered all consolidators to re-register with KRA by 15 October 2026 and to declare the traders whose goods they carry.

Guides

Beyond shipping

Sourcing and buying. We find the product on 1688, Alibaba and Taobao or directly at factories, negotiate in Chinese, pay the supplier and receive the goods at our warehouse. Commission of 1 to 3% of the order value, depending on the order amount, the product and the number of suppliers.
Supplier verification. We check the supplier's licence, documents and track record, and visit the factory when needed, before you pay.
Quality inspection. We inspect the goods during production or before shipping and send you photos and videos.
Consolidation and storage. We receive orders from several suppliers at our warehouse in Guangzhou or Yiwu, store them and combine them into one shipment.
Repacking, palletizing and labelling. We repack, palletize and label or mark the cartons as you need.
Paying suppliers in China. We pay your Chinese suppliers in CNY or USD on your behalf.
Formalities at destination. Customs clearance in your name and product certificates, on request.

Apart from the sourcing commission, we confirm the cost of each service in your quote.

What we need for a quote

Send us the product name and photos, the number of pieces, weight, dimensions, packing and value, and whether the goods contain batteries, gas, liquids, powders, granules, strong magnets, capacitors, motors or compressors. With that we confirm the route, the transit time and what the price includes.

What the price includes

Prices are in US dollars as of 11 October 2026, from our warehouse in China to the warehouse at destination, with customs clearance in Kenya included. Delivery to your door is quoted on request. Our partner line prices high-duty goods higher, so the written quote states the category of your product and exactly what is included before you pay.

China to Kenya freight