International trade has been significantly affected by the border blockade caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, in developing countries, which are commodity exporters of agricultural products, lockdown measures imposed by governments have caused severe disruption to  supply chains. Even in Kenya, where foreign currency income is dependent on export crops such as tea, fruits and vegetables, a sharp decline in demand in Europe and the Middle East in March 2020 and a rise in freight costs due to a decrease in passenger flights severely hit the agricultural sector. In the case of Kenya, there are reports that exports of some commodities such as tea and fruits withstood the coronavirus shock and are recovering.

References

BBC News. Coronavirus: How Africa's supply chains are evolving By Mary-Ann Russon  June 25, 2020

Daily Nation. Kenya earns Sh8bn from avocados as Covid-19 boosts exports  July 14, 2020 

Andrew Mold and Anthony Mveyange The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on trade Recent evidence from East Africa  

The Standard. Kenyan exports defy coronavirus shocks　By Macharia Kamau, July 1, 2020 

Contributor: IIYAMA Miyuki (Research Strategy Office