Kazakhstan, U.S. business leaders discuss investment, trade expansion at Astana roundtable
Representatives of the Kazakh and U.S. governments, business communities and major international companies gathered in Astana on Tuesday for Kazakhstan–U.S. Business Roundtable to discuss investment opportunities, trade expansion and strategic economic cooperation, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The event, held at The Ritz-Carlton Astana, brought together senior officials, executives from leading American corporations, development institutions and business associations. The program included presentations on Kazakhstan’s investment climate, sectoral cooperation, B2B meetings and the signing of a strategic partnership memorandum between the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Kazakhstan’s National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Atameken.
Chairman of the Foreign Trade Chamber of Kazakhstan Murat Karimsakov said the U.S. delegation included representatives of some of the world’s largest companies operating or planning to expand in Kazakhstan.
“This is a highly representative delegation from the American side. These are leading companies that already work in Kazakhstan and, following the agreements signed in November in the United States, are planning to invest in our country and our economy,” Murat Karimsakov said.
According to Karimsakov, the delegation includes companies from the energy, technology and financial sectors, including Chevron, Shell, Mastercard and Citi, as well as executives responsible for Central Asia operations.
He noted that participants would receive presentations from representatives of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) and other government agencies and development institutions.
One of the key topics of the roundtable is Kazakhstan’s investment climate.
Karimsakov said the country continues to implement consistent policies aimed at strengthening investor confidence and expanding international business cooperation.
According to him, bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and the United States exceeded $1 billion in the first quarter of 2026, marking an increase of around 10% compared to the same period last year.
He also noted that the United States remains one of Kazakhstan’s largest foreign investors.
“Since independence, the United States has been one of the leading investors in Kazakhstan’s economy. Today, the total amount exceeds $60 billion,” Karimsakov said.
Special attention is being paid to industrial and agricultural cooperation, transport and logistics, as well as the development of large logistics hubs, which are expected to further increase bilateral trade and investment flows.
During the roundtable, the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Atameken and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are set to sign a memorandum on strategic partnership aimed at strengthening business ties and creating new opportunities for small and medium-sized enterprises in both countries.
Karimsakov noted that small and medium-sized businesses account for more than 60% of the U.S. economy and said Kazakhstan is positioning itself as an attractive destination for American companies seeking to enter new markets.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received Ben Black, Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, in Astana.
