Kazakhstan, Russia boost mutual trade to $6.45bn
From January to March 2026, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Russia hit $6.46 billion, which is 16.1% higher against the same period in 2025 – 5.56 $billion, Qazinform News Agency learned from the Ministry of Trade and Integration.
According to the ministry, Russia has maintained its status of one of Kazakhstan’s key trade partners, ranking second in bilateral trade volume and remaining the most important destination for import, industrial cooperation and production supplies.
“Kazakhstan’s exports to Russia were formed mainly by metallurgical and raw material products. Key export items included hot‑rolled flat steel ($131.8 million), iron ores and concentrates ($77.8 million), clad flat steel ($77 million), cold‑rolled flat steel ($73.3 million), aluminum oxides and hydroxides ($60.5 million), coal ($40 million), and unprocessed zinc ($39.5 million). Imports from Russia in the first quarter of 2026 rose by 28.5%, reaching $4.96 billion,” the ministry says.
The ministry explained that the sharp rise in imports was driven by increased supplies of strategically important goods and industrial products.
The most significant dynamics were recorded in uranium imports, which grew 2,486 times to reach $258.5 million. Natural gas supplies rose by 93.4%, totaling $499 million, while imports of unprocessed and semi-processed gold increased 36.5 times, reaching $211.2 million. Growth was also observed in imports of petroleum products, wheat, precious metal ores and concentrates, as well as railway wagons, the ministry added.
Earlier, it was reported that railway cooperation between Kazakhstan and Russia showed positive growth in 2025, with freight traffic volume reaching 92.1 million tons.
