ASTANA – Kazakhstan is moving its cross-border trade hubs from planning to implementation, with new production facilities, logistics infrastructure and cargo flows emerging along the country’s borders and Caspian coast. The five priority hubs are designed to strengthen trade with the Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan, Russia, China and the Caspian region, attract investment and support the government’s goal of raising non-resource exports to 30%, the Ministry of Trade and Integration reported on Sept.
6. Containers at a cross-border logistics hub in Kazakhstan. Photo credit: Ministry of Trade and Integration. The strongest growth is at the Khorgos-Eastern Gate Special Economic Zone (SEZ), where the number of projects rose from 14 in 2022 to 69, while investment grew from 340 billion tenge (US$755.1 million) to 652.8 billion tenge (US$1.5 billion).
Currently, 40 projects worth 75 billion tenge (US$166.6 million) are under implementation, creating 864 jobs. In January-June, nine new participants registered projects totaling 9.3 billion tenge (US$20.7 million), creating 230 jobs. Production reached 12.7 billion tenge (US$28.2 million), up 74% year on year.
The SEZ already hosts a dry port with an annual capacity of 540,000 containers and a 25,000-square-meter Class A warehouse. Two additional major logistics projects are being designed. By 2028, 28 projects worth 577.7 billion tenge (US$1.3 billion) are planned, with nearly 2,800 jobs.
Key projects include the Kazakhstan-China International Industrial City, valued at 330 billion tenge (US$733 million), and an international cargo and passenger airport worth 250 billion tenge (US$555.2 million). On the southern border, the Central Asia International Industrial Cooperation Center is moving into the construction and commissioning phase.
External construction and installation work is complete, and commissioning is underway. Internal engineering infrastructure is 55% complete and is expected to be finished by December. Eight production buildings have already been constructed, while the center’s investment project portfolio totals 89.4 billion tenge (US$199 million).
Construction has started on a 75.3-billion-tenge (US$167.2 million) industrial park, one of the center’s largest projects. In the Zhambyl Region, the Industrial Trade and Logistics Complex received SEZ status in April. The 165-hectare site is being prepared for development, with infrastructure connections planned.
Construction of the first-stage substation began this year, with around 4 billion tenge (US$8.8 million) allocated this year from a total planned 12 billion tenge (US$26.7 million). The Eurasia Cross-Border Trade Center in the West Kazakhstan Region covers 281 hectares.
Part of its external infrastructure, including gas, electricity, water supply and wastewater systems, has already been completed.