ASTANA – Five hundred fifty-seven Kazakh enterprises from the non-resource sector received support to enter the foreign markets during the first five years of the Export Acceleration Program, the Ministry of Trade and Integration announced at the Exporters Forum in Astana on June 12, as per the ministry’s press service.
Photo credit:qaztrade.kz.org
The Kazakhstan Exporters Forum is an annual trade event organized by QazTrade Center for Trade Policy Development with the support of the Kazakh Trade and Integration Ministry.
“Kazakhstan’s exports in 2024 exceeded $80 billion, including nearly $29 billion in manufacturing and $11.8 billion in services. This is the result of systematic work and the efforts of entrepreneurs. SMEs remain the key driver—last year, more than 27,000 projects were financed. Our task is to create a sustainable and competitive environment where exports mean jobs, taxes, and economic modernization,” said Aset Nusupov, vice minister of Trade and Integration.
Aset Nusupov, vice minister of Trade and Integration. Photo credit: gov.kz
In 2025, the program continues to expand, with an additional 120 manufacturing companies and service providers selected for support.
The Export Acceleration Program also focuses on removing systemic barriers, working closely with industry associations. From 2020 to 2025, it consistently supported companies from the food, light, chemical, machine-building, and service sectors. Target markets grew from one (China) in 2020 to eleven by 2025, spanning the Middle East, CIS, Europe, and Asia.
Transport and logistics
Transport and logistics development was also a central topic at the Exporters Forum.
Over the past five years, there has been a sixfold increase in cargo transported via Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), said Dinmukhamed Sembayev, head of the Transport Policy Department of the Kazakh Ministry of Transport, Kazinform cites.
“Today, the route’s capacity is six million tons per year. Overall, over the past five years, there has been a six-fold increase in cargo transported via TITR from 0.8 million tons in 2020 to 4.5 million tons in 2024,” he said.
In the first four months of 2025, transportation volumes reached 1.5 million tons, up 10% from last year’s 1.37 million tons. Container traffic totaled 30,400 TEU, tripling from 10,200 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Unit (TEU) during the same period in 2024.
“As statistics show, the route serves not only as a transit corridor, but also plays a vital role in exporting Kazakh products — 72% of the flow includes food, metals, and petrochemicals — and importing foreign goods, which makes it a key channel for the development of the national economy. This trend is expected to continue in the coming years,” added Sembayev.
By 2027, the corridor’s capacity is expected to reach 10 million tons per year.
The North-South international transport corridor connecting Russia with Iran, the Persian Gulf countries, and India along the route from St. Petersburg to the port of Mumbai is also emerging as a key direction of Kazakhstan’s transit policy, according to Sembayev.
“The eastern branch has a capacity of 10 million tons, including six million tons through Bolashak station and four million tons through Caspian ports. The eastern branch of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran corridor has been in operation since 2014. To attract additional cargo flows through Kazakhstan, there is a 50% discount on transit cargo,” he said.
“Border stations in western regions of Kazakhstan are currently being upgraded, with completion expected next year. Once finished, the corridor’s capacity will increase to 20 million tons annually,” he added.
