Summary
Trade between Kazakhstan and China more than doubled, from $15.4 billion to $34.1 billion. Kazakhstan still sells mostly raw materials and buys machinery, electronics and vehicles. Since 2023 it has run a trade deficit with China, which reached $3.7 billion in 2025.
Key findings
- Trade turnover grew from $15.4 billion in 2020 to $34.1 billion in 2025.
- China's share of Kazakhstan's foreign trade rose from 18.1% to 23.7%.
- Kazakhstan exports mainly ores, oil, copper and uranium, and imports machinery, electronics and vehicles.
- A surplus of $2.6 billion in 2020 turned into a deficit of $3.7 billion in 2025.
In charts
My view
Author's viewI think it is not good that Kazakhstan sells China mainly raw materials, because this makes our economy heavily dependent on resources that will not last forever. I also see the trade deficit as a concern, because Kazakhstan now relies on China for machinery, equipment and technology. From what I have seen, much of the equipment in Kazakh factories and hospitals is Chinese. At the same time, these imports bring technology that Kazakhstan needs, so the answer is not to trade less with China, but to develop the relationship further and learn to produce more of these goods at home.