- QazTrade and China’s OIG sign MoU to boost digital trade and exports.
- Kazakhstan strengthens presence at CIIE 2025, expanding access to global markets.
- Partnership aims to enhance online platforms, logistics, and export readiness to China.
The Kazakh trade organization QazTrade and China's Optimize Integration Group (OIG) have signed a memorandum of understanding to advance digital trade and online export platforms, representing the first significant agreement during Kazakhstan's notable participation at the eighth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai.
The memorandum, signed during the Expo, seeks to create online platforms to enhance the promotion of Kazakh products, refine logistics and payment systems, and increase exports of agricultural and food items to China and further, as reported by the Ministry of Trade and Integration’s press service.
The accord arrives as Kazakhstan achieves its most significant representation at the CIIE, with more than 100 local producers showcased across four exhibition sites. Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev highlighted that the Expo has turned into a crucial access point for Kazakh companies to penetrate international markets.
“For Kazakhstan, participation in the Shanghai Expo has long become a strategic priority. This platform opens new export opportunities for domestic producers and serves as a gateway not only to China but also to other world markets,” he said.
Shakkaliyes emphasized that the importance of the event has increased with China's move to boost domestic consumption via imports. “The exhibition gains special importance as China focuses on developing internal demand by attracting high-quality goods from developing countries, including Central Asia,” he said.
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QazTrade reports that the overall value of export agreements entered into by Kazakh firms via the Expo has surpassed $306.5 million in the past few years. In 2023–2024, contracts were finalized for the provision of meat, vegetable oils, camel milk powder, and juice items to China and various Asian markets.
Trade between Kazakhstan and China has increased twofold in the last five years, hitting $30.2 billion in 2024, with Kazakh exports also doubling during this time. In conjunction with its partnership with China, Kazakhstan aims to initiate an acceleration program to assist manufacturers in conforming their products to Chinese standards in areas such as packaging, branding, and marketing. A training program will also educate entrepreneurs on certification and export criteria necessary for accessing the Chinese market.