Kenyan fresh-cut flowers blossom in Chinese market

People talk in front of a rose wall at the Kenya Pavilion during the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) on Nov. 7, 2026. At the Kenya Pavilion during the ninth CIIE, a rose wall over two meters high has drawn many visitors to stop and take photos. Kenya hopes to use this year's expo as a platform to bring the fragrance of Kenyan flowers into the Chinese market.

Thanks to favorable natural conditions, Kenyan fresh-cut flowers are prized for their consistent quality and stable production, and the country has long ranked first in Africa in flower exports.

Kenya is among the 53 African countries harvesting the early fruits of China's zero-tariff policy, which came into force on May 1. This has made it easier for African specialty agricultural products to enter China and boosted the confidence of Kenyan flower growers in exporting to the Chinese market.

From the East African highlands to the Chinese market, the journey is getting shorter, the connections are growing closer, and the direction is becoming clearer. Kenyan fresh-cut flowers are now enjoying a golden age in China. (Xinhua/Chen Haoming)

Staff members take care of the flowers at a planting base of United Selections, a flower breeding company, in Nakuru County, Kenya, Nov. 4, 2026.(Xinhua/Liu Jiaqi)

A staff member displays freshly-cut roses at United Selections, a flower breeding company, in Nakuru County, Kenya, Nov. 4, 2026.(Xinhua/Liu Jiaqi)

Staff members transplant flower seedlings at a planting base of United Selections, a flower breeding company, in Nakuru County, Kenya, Nov. 4, 2026.(Xinhua/Liu Jiaqi)

People talk in front of a rose wall at the Kenya Pavilion during the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) on Nov. 7, 2026.(Xinhua/Chen Haoming)

A staff member displays a flower seedling at a planting base of United Selections, a flower breeding company, in Nakuru County, Kenya, Nov. 4, 2026.(Xinhua/Liu Jiaqi)

A staff member checks the growth of flowers at United Selections, a flower breeding company, in Nakuru County, Kenya, Nov. 4, 2026.(Xinhua/Liu Jiaqi)

This photo taken on Nov. 4, 2026 shows alstroemeria flowers growing at a planting base of United Selections, a flower breeding company, in Nakuru County, Kenya.(Xinhua/Liu Jiaqi)

A visitor poses for a photo in front of a rose wall at the Kenya Pavilion during the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) on Nov. 7, 2026.(Xinhua/Chen Haoming)

People admire the flowers at the Kenya Pavilion during the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) on Nov. 7, 2026.(Xinhua/Chen Haoming)

People walk past a rose wall at the Kenya Pavilion during the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) on Nov. 7, 2026.(Xinhua/Chen Haoming)

People visit the Kenya Pavilion during the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) on Nov. 7, 2026.(Xinhua/Chen Haoming)