Kenya-Iran Form Joint Committee To Lift Tea Ban Within 60 Days

BY ERIC ABUGA

Kenya and Iran have agreed to establish a joint committee tasked with removing trade obstacles within 60 days, paving the way for the lifting of the ban on Kenyan tea exports to Iran.

The breakthrough was reached during the 7th Session of the Kenya–Iran Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC) held in Nairobi, co-chaired by Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi and Dr. Gholamreza Nouri Ghezalcheh, Minister of Agricultural Jihad of Iran.

The move comes in the wake of a criminal trade malpractice involving a Kenyan company, Cup of Joe Limited, which has since been deregistered by the Tea Board of Kenya and is set to face prosecution.

Investigations revealed that the firm imported low-grade tea, blended it, and re-exported it to Iran as high-grade Kenyan tea, triggering a diplomatic dispute and the subsequent ban.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said the two countries had agreed to draft strict regulations to prevent such criminal activity in future and safeguard the integrity of Kenyan tea.

“Kenya’s tea sector is one of our largest foreign exchange earners, and we must protect it from unscrupulous traders who damage our reputation.”

Iran is among the top ten importers of Kenyan tea. In 2024, data collated by Tea Board of Kenya shows they imported 13M kilogramme worth Sh4.26bn, topped by Pakistan which maintained its position as a leading importer of Kenyan tea, accounting for 34.7 percent of the total export volumes worth Sh70bn.

The joint committee will develop a framework to restore trust and ensure compliance with quality standards, with the ultimate goal of resuming tea exports before the end of the 60-day period.