- Kazakhstan will establish its first full-cycle aluminum wheel plant with United States and South Korean partners.
- The project aims to boost automotive manufacturing localization reduce imports and strengthen industrial capabilities domestically.
- International collaboration will support technology transfer job creation and regional export potential for Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan has taken a major step to bolster its automotive manufacturing sector by signing a trilateral agreement to establish the country’s first full-cycle aluminum wheel production facility with strategic partners from the United States and South Korea.
The officials from the two countries signed the memorandum during a meeting which took place on February 4 2026 at which Kazakhstan's First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar and U.S. Open Element and South Korean Hands Corporation executives were present.
The joint venture will also involve Kazakhstan’s local firm Astana Motors, reflecting a collaborative international effort to expand industrial capacity in the Central Asian nation.
The new plant functions as an advanced manufacturing facility which produces aluminum wheels through its entire production process from engineering and tooling through to fabrication and finishing. The country of Kazakhstan will establish its first advanced manufacturing facility which uses modern production technologies and engineering methods to improve its automotive parts manufacturing industry.
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The initiative wants to establish deeper local production capabilities while decreasing import needs and generating economic development for automotive assembly and parts manufacturing businesses. Foreign partners selected Kazakhstan for their new business because they found the country's automotive market to be expanding at a fast rate.
The project officials state that it supports Kazakhstan's economic development plan which aims to establish the country as a regional automotive parts supplier while developing its industrial base. The project will boost Central Asian and international export capabilities by enabling local production of aluminum wheels which serve as essential automotive components.
The manufacturing facility will produce enough products to meet local needs while creating employment opportunities and facilitating technology transfer and attracting additional international investment into Kazakhstan's manufacturing industry.
The automotive industry of Kazakhstan will experience its industrial operations transformation through this plant which establishes more integrated manufacturing processes whereas international partnerships will develop advanced production capabilities for the region.