The Effects of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures on Kenya’s Export Performance of Edible Fruits and Nuts to Major Trading Countries: A Panel Data Analysis

International trade has always faced obstacles emanating from tariff and non-tariff related barriers. Major developing countries have over the years imposed non-tariff measures to safeguard their country’s plant, animal and human health. However, some countries have used this approach as a form of protection for their local production and infant industries, thus using it as a protectionist tool. These non-tariff barriers involve the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures as well as technical barriers to trade (TBT). Kenya’s edible fruits and nuts are among the potential products that have faced these SPS measures over the years. Kenya has been exporting this commodity to major international markets like the United States of America (USA), EU (European Union), United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, China, India, Canada, Australia, Egypt and Vietnam. This research study is aimed at analyzing the effects of these SPS measures on the export performance of Kenya’s export of edible fruits and nuts to these major trading partners. A descriptive analysis was undertaken using the inventory approach which involved the SPS coverage ratio and the SPS frequency index. Random effects model was used to analyze the data over a period span of 16 years (2003-2018). Empirical findings reveal that the SPS measures a ff ect the exports of Kenya’s edible f ruits and nuts with a positive coeff icient of 0.949.