Last year, Kazakhstan exported non-commodity products worth $26.5 billion, which set a record. Vice-Minister of Trade and Integration Kairat Torebayev announced this during a briefing at the Central Communications Service, Turanews.kz reports.
According to the statistics from the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the total volume of foreign trade (imports and exports) of processed products amounted to $18.8 billion in the first quarter of 2023, which is one-third higher than the same period in 2022. Over the course of three years, this figure has increased by one and a half times (reaching 63%). The export of non-commodities grew by 7.6% year-on-year, totaling $5.9 billion. Kairat Torebayev emphasized that Kazakhstan aims to increase the export of processed products to $41 billion by 2025.
“The growth of exports was achieved, in part, by expanding the range of goods. In the first quarter of this year, the number of exported goods increased to 767 items. Additionally, the export geography is expanding. Kazakhstan’s non-commodity exports were shipped to 106 countries this year, which is six more countries than in 2022,” added the Deputy Head of the Ministry of Trade.
From January to March 2023, Kazakhstan exported copper and copper cathodes ($688.8 million, up 11.7%), ferroalloys ($644.5 million, up 11%), uranium ($610.7 million, up 10.4%), petroleum products ($344.9 million, up 5.9%), hot-rolled flat products of unalloyed steel ($171.7 million, up 2.9%), silver ($171.5 million, up 2.9%), wheat or wheat-rye flour ($155 million, up 2.6%), zinc ($129 million, up 2.2%), natural gas ($121.6 million, up 2.1%), and other goods.
During the first three months of the current year, the export of uranium, passenger cars, and oil products increased by one and a half times, mineral fertilizers increased by 2.8 times, and sunflower oil increased by 19.9%. The main export destinations include Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Türkiye, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, and Afghanistan.