ASTANA — As cross-border e-commerce is booming in Kazakhstan, the government is moving to bring foreign marketplaces under stricter regulatory oversight.
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The big picture
Over the past four years, Kazakhstan’s e-commerce sector has expanded sixfold, with online sales reaching 14.5% of total retail turnover. The Kazakh government intends to increase this figure to 20%. Meanwhile, cashless transactions account for 87% of all retail payments.
In 2024, Kazakhstan’s retail e-commerce market reached a record 3.4 trillion tenge (US$6 billion), growing 42% year-on-year, according to a recent report by Strategy&, part of the PwC global network of firms. The number of online purchases increased by 87%, totaling 162 million, while the average basket value decreased by 24% to 21,200 tenge (approximately US$40).
Marketplaces dominated, accounting for 91% of all e-commerce sales, with much of this growth driven by cross-border trade. The increasing role of foreign players has created both opportunities and regulatory challenges for Kazakhstan.
This growing dependence on foreign platforms is mirrored in logistics and postal infrastructure. At the Central Asian Postal Summit held in April in Astana, officials highlighted that QazPost had handled over 20 million parcels in the past year, with 50% of these coming from abroad, primarily from China. In response, QazPost partnered with YTO Express to form a joint venture aimed at servicing Kazakhstan and the broader Central Asian market.
QazPost executives emphasized that marketplaces, domestic and international, are driving e-commerce growth, supported by mobile adoption and improved last-mile logistics. Currently, Kaspi holds a market share of over 70%, with Wildberries at 17.2%. Daily orders from Chinese platforms are expected to reach one million, pushing QazPost to expand automation and sorting capacity.
Regulatory aspects
Since 2022, foreign platforms selling goods to individuals in Kazakhstan have been required to pay a 12% value-added tax, commonly referred to as the “Google tax,” under a rule introduced by the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance. Some 110 foreign companies have undergone conditional registration, with paid taxes totaling 97 billion tenge (US$184 million).
According to the new Tax Code, foreign marketplaces operating in Kazakhstan will be blocked if they fail to register with the State Revenue Committee. This measure addresses growing concerns about unfair competition, as domestic marketplaces are required to register and comply with national tax regulations. At the same time, some foreign platforms continue to operate without proper registration.
The Tax Code mandates registration for all foreign marketplaces engaged in sales to Kazakh consumers. Those who do not respond to official notifications from tax authorities may face restricted access within the country.
Consumer complaints
Yet as e-commerce gains traction, so do concerns from consumers. At the beginning of this year, the Ministry of Trade and Integration reported an increase in citizen complaints regarding foreign online marketplaces whose sellers operate outside the country’s legal jurisdiction. In response, the government is implementing stronger regulatory mechanisms.
From a consumer protection standpoint, the landscape is becoming more complex.
In a written comment for this story, the Consumer Protection Committee noted that the number of complaints related to e-commerce has risen sharply. In 2022, 2,663 complaints were registered, accounting for 9% of total appeals. In 2023, this figure rose to 7,732 (15.2%), and by 2024, the number reached 14,520, accounting for 23.2% of all consumer complaints.
Of these, 2,849 complaints were specifically related to marketplaces: the vast majority, 73.7%, concerned Wildberries.
Kazakhstan’s Kaspi and Russian e-commerce company Ozon followed with 10.9% and 9.5% respectively. Smaller shares were attributed to other platforms, including China’s Temu and Pinduoduo, Latvia’s JOOM, and Russia’s Yandex Market. The complaints frequently cited a lack of seller or product information, discrepancies between product descriptions and deliveries, and refusals to issue refunds or accept returns.
Nearly half of all e-commerce complaints originated from social media-based commerce, involving platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook. These were essentially cases of fraud.
No reported complaints from domestic businesses
Despite the growing popularity of global marketplaces, the Ministry of Trade and Integration said that it has not received any formal complaints from local entrepreneurs regarding unfair competition.
The trade ministry explained that it does not consider taxation or potential enforcement against foreign platforms as a threat to the sector. On the contrary, such steps are viewed as essential for ensuring fair and transparent competition. The government believes that fiscal compliance by foreign companies strengthens market integrity, enhances consumer protection, and supports the growth of domestic platforms.
Data sovereignty through diplomatic channels
In a written comment to the Astana Times, the Ministry of Trade and Integration noted that Kazakhstan’s regulatory agenda also includes efforts to enforce personal data protection laws. Although relevant legal provisions are already in place, implementation needs to be intensified.
“In this regard, the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry has sent letters to foreign marketplaces via diplomatic channels with a request to provide information regarding the processing of personal data and the location of the marketplace servers, as well as explanations of the requirements of the law on personal data and their protection to Chinese marketplaces through their government,” the ministry told The Astana Times.
Building a competitive e-commerce ecosystem
Addressing a government meeting in January, Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev said the ministry adopted the E-commerce Development Plan until 2027 in April last year. The document outlines measures to enhance legislation on online sales, introduce e-commerce training courses nationwide, and implement financial incentives for state support of entrepreneurs.
Other priorities include the development of modern logistics infrastructure and deeper collaboration with international platforms to promote Kazakhstan’s goods abroad.
The ministry also emphasized that e-commerce should be developed as an integrated ecosystem that includes both domestic and foreign flows. This strategy aims to strengthen local capacity while maintaining openness to global commerce.
Kazakhstan’s regulatory framework shows a clear preference for integrating foreign marketplaces into a legal and transparent commercial environment, rather than excluding them. Through taxation, data governance, and consumer protection, the government is building the foundations of a fairer digital economy.
