Belgium overtakes USA as top buyer of Kenya’s coffee

Belgium has over taken the US as the main export market for Kenya’s coffee in the 2023/24 crop season, tipping investors on the opportunities in the European country, which is currently registering a steady growth in consumption of the beverage, driven by an expanding specialty product.

New data shows that Belgium bought 8,275.79 tonnes of Kenyan coffee worth Ksh7.42 billion in the 2023-24, representing 8.82 percent of the total share of the exports of the commodities from the East African nation. This performance saw Belgium pip the US, which import-7,917.13 tonnes of coffee on Kenya worth Ksh6.68 billion in 2023/24 and equivalent of 16.09 percent of Nairobi’s exports of the commodity for the season.

The US was the top buyer of Kenyan coffee in the 2022-23 seasons, where it bagged 11,228 tonnes worth Ksh7.93 billion to account for a 23.41 percent share of the East African nation’s total exports of the beverage.

Belgium, on the other hand, in 2022-23 imported 5,026 tonnes of coffee from Kenya worth Ksh3.91 billion to account for 10.48 percent of the country’s total exports of the beverage. The performance in the Belgium market could provide an impetus for Kenyan exporters already facing headwinds in the US market of a 10 percent trade tariff imposed by President Donald Trump effective August 1,2025.

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Kenyan coffee, which is much sought-after by roasters and blenders, is marketed either through the weekly Nairobi Coffee Exchange (NCE) or sold directly to buyers abroad.

Fresh data by the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) shows that in the 2023-24 coffee year, Kenya’s overall coffee exports rose by 1,242.09 tonnes, increasing from 47,957 tonnes valued at $251.86 million (Ksh32.52 billion) in 2022-23 to 49,199.09 tonnes valued at $292.88 million(Ksh37.82 billion).

“According to the regulator,Kenyan coffee was exported to 59 international destinations. The leading export markets during this period were Belgium (17 percent), the United States (16 percent), and Germany (11 percent)

“Notably, the growth in export volumes to Belgium is attributed to targeted market promotion efforts undertaken by the AFA in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs. These outcomes underscore the importance of strategic public-sector engagement in market development and export promotion.”

The total quantity of coffee sold under auction at the NCE in 2023-24 rose by 27.5 percent to 41,617 tonnes, up from 32,652 tonnes that was sold in 2022-23 due to changes in the regulations in the period under review.

However, the quantity of coffee sold under direct sales decreased by 29.6 percent from 9,350 tonnes in 2022/23 to 6.5 tonnes in 2023/24.

By Juma Ndigo

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