Kazakhstan-Norway trade turnover surges 37%
Astana hosted the second session of the Kazakhstan-Norway Business Council, jointly organized by the Foreign Trade Chamber of Kazakhstan and the Norwegian Chamber of Commerce, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The participants discussed the development of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, the expansion of investment collaboration, and the implementation of joint projects.
According to Murat Karimsakov, Chairman of the Board of the Foreign Trade Chamber of Kazakhstan, economic relations between both nations are flourishing, with bilateral trade surging by 37 percent to around 170 million US dollars.
These figures reflect the expansion of trade flows, the emergence of new niches for cooperation, and, most importantly, the building of trust between Norwegian and Kazakhstani entrepreneurs, stated Karimsakov.
He highlighted that Kazakhstan is actively pursuing a green transition, widespread digitalization, and an enhanced investment climate. In this context, Norway's expertise in advanced technologies is highly valuable.
According to the Foreign Trade Chamber head, primary sectors for collaboration include agriculture, aquaculture, the circular economy, and transport and logistics.
Currently, 18 Norwegian companies are registered in Kazakhstan, including Optimar, Eksfin, Cambi, Gexcon, Mill, AkvaGroup, Jotun, and Vester. As Karimsakov noted, many of them have already transitioned from negotiations to the practical implementation of joint projects.
As an example, he cited the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Kazakhstan’s Organic Fish, which is engaged in marine aquaculture in the Caspian Sea (the project specializes in the industrial farming of fish in sea cages, developing the production of marketable fish), and the Norway’s Optimar (which develops and supplies automated systems for fish processing).
Transport and logistics cooperation received special emphasis during the discussions. Karimsakov stressed that Kazakhstan continues to function as a vital Eurasian transport crossroads.
70 percent of land transit from China to Europe passes through Kazakhstan. Together, we can build multimodal corridors, strengthen supply chains, and create added value across the entire chain - from production to the end consumer, he noted.
The attendees were also briefed on business incentives and digital investment tools. Notably, Kazakhstan’s Zdes i Seichas (Here and Now) platform currently features over 1,600 projects valued at roughly 130 billion US dollars.
Earlier, Qazinform reported Kazakhstan and China are to launch a joint grain trading platform.
