ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s foreign trade turnover increased to $32.9 billion in January-March, supported by rising exports, stronger non-resource shipments, and higher imports of industrial and investment goods. Total trade rose 10.5% year-on-year. Exports grew 9.4% to $18 billion, while imports increased 11.8% to $14.9 billion, driven by demand for machinery, equipment, and technologies used in industrial and infrastructure development, reported the Ministry of Trade and Integration on May 18.
Imports of capital goods showed notable growth, with electric generator sets surging more than fivefold to $416.8 million. Increases were also recorded in gas turbines, aircraft engines, petroleum products, railway locomotives, and industrial processing equipment.
Non-resource trade remained a key growth driver, rising 13.5% to $20.4 billion. Non-resource exports climbed 23.4% to $6.9 billion, reflecting diversification of the export base. Export growth was led by copper, copper cathodes, silver, uranium, ferroalloys, animal feed products, and sunflower oil.
Sunflower oil exports rose nearly 60% to $277.8 million, while ferroalloy shipments increased 20.1%. Kazakhstan’s trade remained diversified geographically. China was the largest partner with $7.8 billion in turnover, followed by Russia at $6.5 billion. Italy, Türkiye, and Uzbekistan also ranked among the key partners.
Trade with Italy exceeded $3.4 billion, with exports exceeding $3 billion.