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Trade between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan reached $1.7 billion in January–August 2026, up 19.2% from a year earlier (lsm.kz). Kazakhstan bought more fuel, motor oils and heavy machinery, while shipping more cement and flour to its neighbour. Meanwhile, meat and fish exports to Kyrgyzstan fell by a factor of 2.5.
What happened
Kazakhstan bought 428.3 thousand tonnes of goods worth $470.3 million from Kyrgyzstan. Imports fell 15.7% by weight but rose 30.9% in value compared with January–August last year.
Shipments of kerosene, jet and diesel fuel, and motor oils rose to 3.3 times their previous level, reaching 116 thousand tonnes. Purchases of heavy machinery rose to 4.4 times their previous level, reaching 49 units worth $40.5 million. This category included drilling machines, loaders and bulldozers.
In the other direction, Kazakhstan shipped 3.7 million tonnes of goods worth $1.3 billion. Export volume rose 7%, while export value increased 15.4%.
What this means
In value terms, Kazakhstan’s sales to Kyrgyzstan grew more slowly than its purchases from its neighbour: 15.4% versus 30.9%. Over the eight months, Kazakhstan sold more goods by value than it bought: $1.3 billion versus $470.3 million.
The overall growth in trade came alongside falling shipments of some goods. For example, Kazakhstan’s exports of new passenger cars fell 22.5% to 220 vehicles. Purchases of plastic preforms from Kyrgyzstan — blanks used to make bottles and jars — fell 31% to 11.6 thousand tonnes.
Which goods saw higher demand
Kazakhstan increased its purchases of dairy products from Kyrgyzstan by 32.7% to 15.4 thousand tonnes. Ice cream imports rose 18% to 4 thousand tonnes.
Kyrgyzstan’s purchases of canned peas, corn, olives and beans from Kazakhstan rose to 18.2 times their previous level, reaching 18.4 thousand tonnes. Potato chip exports rose to 3.7 times their previous level, reaching 762 tonnes, while flour exports increased 7.7% to 134.5 thousand tonnes.
Shipments of Kazakh cement to Kyrgyzstan rose to 1.7 times their previous level, reaching 742.5 thousand tonnes. Sulphur exports rose to 2.2 times their previous level, reaching 68.9 thousand tonnes.
Not all major shipments increased: Kazakhstan sent Kyrgyzstan two tonnes of gold worth $293.6 million. By weight, this was the same as in January–August last year.
