Cost pressure as geopolitics reshapes tea trade routes

Staff pack tea for export at the Gold Crown Beverages Limited EPZ in Shimanzi, Mombasa County on January 3, 2023.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

Kenya’s tea exporters are navigating a rapidly changing global trade map, with geopolitical tensions in key shipping corridors forcing costly detours and disrupting long-established supply chains.

Fresh industry data shows that while export volumes rose in 2025, the gains came against a backdrop of rising logistics costs and longer delivery timelines after shipping lines avoided the volatile Red Sea route.

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