00:10Kazakhstan is seeking to move beyond exporting raw commodities.
00:13Exports of processed goods grew nearly 18% in the first half of the year.
00:18Crude oil, however, still dominates the country's shipments.
00:21With trade turnover reaching nearly 62 billion euro,
00:24Kazakhstan's trade and investment agencies say
00:27this momentum is opening up opportunities to expand local production.
00:34Welcome to East-West Connect.
00:35We highlight business and investment opportunities in Kazakhstan
00:38and across Central Asia, connecting the region with Europe and beyond.
00:43China remained Kazakhstan's largest trading partner in the first half of the year,
00:48followed by Russia with Italy in third place,
00:51followed by Turkey, France, Uzbekistan, the Netherlands, Germany,
00:54the United States and South Korea.
00:57Imports topped 27 billion euro, up over 5% driven by demand for natural gas,
01:04power generation equipment, other railway locomotives, gold, uranium, petroleum products and machinery.
01:10The government is taking steps to make Kazakhstan more attractive to investors.
01:15Over the past four years, Kazakhstan has signed 62 investment agreements,
01:20worth around 32 billion euro.
01:22These can provide up to 25 years of legislative stability
01:25for projects worth more than around 52 million euro.
01:29In 2025, Kazakhstan signed a further 173 investment contracts,
01:34worth around 2.6 billion euro.
01:36Qualifying projects may benefit from tax incentives,
01:39exemptions from import customs duties,
01:41on equipment and components,
01:43and in-kind state grants.
01:45To discuss the biggest investment opportunities created by this growing domestic demand,
01:50we're joined by Nurlan Kulbatyrov,
01:53Deputy General Director of Kastrade.
01:57Mr. Kulbatyrov, welcome.
02:00Kazakhstan's exports are growing faster than imports,
02:03with foreign trade reaching nearly 62 billion euro.
02:05What does this tell us about the next stage of Kazakhstan's economic development?
02:09Mr. Kul";
02:09Mr. Kulbatyrov, You should say that you have stated stress
02:11that changed significantly about 6 billion euro.
02:19The market that cost each year was always putting an inside the market.
02:26It has been氾 homic in the East direction of the market.
02:31Mr. Kulbatyrov, you have noted that economic increase in the market
02:33if sold the goods,
02:49which industries are best position for import substitution and where do you see the strongest opportunities for foreign investors?
02:55In general, we could have imported imported imported products in the country.
03:10I would like to point out that there is a huge potential for the construction sector,
03:16the farming industry, and the deep production of agro-economy products.
03:21These are three main areas, and also the construction sector.
03:27In this regard, there is a huge potential for investors in localization,
03:34and also production of these products.
03:35We are seeing changes in the structure of Kazakhstan's imports and exports.
03:42What are the biggest shifts, and what's driving them?
03:44When we talk about growth, it's not only the mechanical growth of the market,
03:51it's also the expansion of geography.
03:54We see very good results on the new market.
03:58I want to point out that Turkey showed a very good growth.
04:00As I mentioned, Turkey showed two times, Kazakhstan's products, France, Uzbekistan.
04:06And I think that Kazakhstan's products are more interested in other countries.
04:13Mr. Kubatorov, thank you.
04:17The opportunity goes beyond the domestic market.
04:20Kazakhstan is also looking to expand its export base.
04:23Shipments have reached around 35 billion euro in the first half of the year, up 8.6% year on
04:30year.
04:31Crude oil remained Kazakhstan's largest export, despite lower shipments than a year earlier,
04:35followed by copper and copper products, uranium, ferro-alloys and wheat.
04:41Energy and metals continue to dominate Kazakhstan's export basket,
04:45but non-resource exports are gradually gaining ground.
04:48Animal feed exports surged nearly 80%, while sunflower oil exports increased by 57%.
04:55Kazakhstan is already a major global supplier of sunflower oil
04:59and is among the top three suppliers of sunflower meal to the European Union.
05:03So what's driving this growth in Kazakhstan's oilseed exports?
05:07And where are the next opportunities for investors?
05:09Joining us now is Yudhikar Ibrahimov,
05:11Chairman of the National Oil Seed Processors Association of Kazakhstan.
05:17Mr. Ibrahimov, welcome.
05:19Kazakhstan aims to increase exports of fats and oils to around 1.3 billion euro by 2028,
05:26around 60% above current levels.
05:29What's behind this rapid growth?
05:32The result of this is the overall transformation of the industry,
05:36that is the transition from export from the sea to the internal export
05:39and the production of the production, which supports the government
05:44and, of course, brings more value of the losses in the country.
05:47If we look at the results of 2025,
05:50we have increased in four ways to US$962 million in the US$962 million.
05:55And, of course, this is not the limit, on which we are looking.
06:00And, of course, we have set the task to bring this result in 2-3 years to 1,5 billion
06:05dollars in the USA.
06:07That is, that is what is really possible from Kazakhstan.
06:10What competitive advantages does the country have in oil seed processing?
06:15The basis of this, of course, is the food base, which has a geographic position.
06:22And, of course, this is a system of work on the development of export and supply market.
06:28I want to stop on the agricultural basis, because this is the basis.
06:34And Kazakhstan, on the day, has the most important part in Central Asia.
06:40And, of course, there are also environmental conditions that allow us to grow in our culture.
07:04Where in the value chain do you see the greatest opportunities for international investors?
07:10For foreign investors, of course, it is important, if they want to invest in Kazakhstan, then in the direction of
07:18logistics.
07:18Why is this important? Because one thing is when we produce our products,
07:22another thing is when we produce it in export directions.
07:26And in this, in this, we see the need of the need of the logistic hubs,
07:32which are built in the corresponding infrastructure,
07:35which are created, in particular, for our products to export container-free transports.
07:41Then, it will allow the Kazakhstan-carous massacres product to go to other new markets.
07:49Mr. Brahimov, thank you so much for your time.
07:54That's all for now. See you in the next episode of EastWest Connect.
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