European Subsidiary for a Kenyan Exporter: the Dutch BV, Costs and Steps

The trade agreement

Under the EU-Kenya EPA, you pay zero duty if you have origin documents. This agreement is more stable than temporary preference schemes. Your competitive position then depends on logistics, compliance and the way you organise sales.

Flowers as an example

Kenyan flower exporters already use a model that other sectors can copy. They send the flowers by air to Amsterdam, sell through the auction and through direct programmes, and check quality in the EU. With your own BV, you can add direct programmes with retailers and your own label, and you keep more of the margin. See the sector article for the details.

Coffee and EUDR

Coffee falls under the EU deforestation regulation (EUDR). At import, the EU operator files the geolocation of each plot and a due diligence statement. If the exporter’s own BV is that operator, the exporter can use this compliance as a selling point. See the EUDR operator page for the details.

Is your group setting up a Dutch entity? See setting up a Dutch subsidiary for what you need, how long it takes and what the parent company must sign.

The setup from Nairobi

A Kenyan company can own 100% of the BV, and you can set up the BV remotely. For goods shipped by sea, the BV uses Article 23. Prepare the bank file with the checklist. For other African exporters, see African producers and the EU.