A commercial meeting point for Kenya and China

The Kenya-China Tea Summit is an international meeting for the tea trade, hosted in Nairobi and centred on the commercial relationship between Kenya and China. It runs 21–23 April 2027 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).

Orbitline Events & Ushers Ltd organises the summit, in partnership with the Tea Board of Kenya.

Why now

Kenya is one of the world's largest tea exporters. In 2025 it shipped 652.8 million kilogrammes, up 9.81 per cent on the year before, earning KES 186.91 billion.

Most of that volume reaches a small number of markets. Pakistan takes 36 per cent. China, the largest tea market on earth, took 13,011 tonnes in 2024, close to two per cent of Kenya's exports.

The largest available market for Kenyan tea remains open. Reaching it takes buyers and sellers who have met.

Sources: Tea Board of Kenya, Tea Industry Performance Report 2025; Ecofin Agency, 2026.

The summit takes place in Nairobi from 21–23 April 2027.

Why now

The commercial opportunity is changing.

China extended zero-tariff treatment to imports from all African countries with diplomatic relations with Beijing on 1 May 2026 (Xinhua, 1 May 2026).

Tariffs are only one part of market access. Exporters still need to understand buyer preferences, product standards, food-safety requirements, packaging, documentation, logistics and distribution. Buyers need reliable suppliers who can deliver the right product, quality, volume and traceability.

The summit is designed to make those conversations easier and more direct.

What the summit aims to do

1. Grow direct trade

   Connect Kenyan producers and exporters with Chinese importers, distributors, brands and buyers.

2. Support value addition

   Explore opportunities in specialty tea, green tea, orthodox tea, packaging, branding and product development.

3. Bring investment closer to the industry

   Create space for investors, banks and development finance institutions to engage with commercially viable opportunities across the tea value chain.

4. Put technology in front of the people who use it

   Introduce processing equipment, agricultural technology, traceability systems and logistics solutions to producers and processors.

5. Make market access easier to understand

   Bring buyers, exporters, regulators and standards specialists into the same conversation.

6. Celebrate tea as business and culture

   Create room for Kenyan and Chinese tea traditions, consumer preferences and product stories to be shared with a wider international audience.

An African-led summit with a defined market focus

The summit is hosted in Kenya and centred on the Kenya-China tea relationship. Its relevance extends beyond one bilateral market. Many of the questions it addresses, including value addition, technology transfer, export diversification and direct buyer relationships, matter across Africa's tea-producing regions.

The programme will welcome African institutions and businesses whose work can contribute to a stronger and more competitive tea industry, while keeping the summit's commercial focus clear.

Who the summit is for

The programme is intended for:

• Tea growers, factories, producer organisations and exporters
• Importers, distributors, tea houses, retailers and consumer brands
• Investors, banks, insurers and development finance institutions
• Machinery, packaging and agricultural technology companies
• Logistics, warehousing, customs and trade-service providers
• Government ministries, regulators and trade-promotion agencies
• Universities, researchers, trainers and standards specialists
• Hotels, restaurants, tourism operators and tea-culture organisations
• Business and industry media