Vice Minister Zhanel Kushukova visited large enterprises in the East Kazakhstan region

Vice Minister of Trade and Integration Zhanel Kushukova visited the East Kazakhstan Region on a working visit, where she learned about the operations of two large export-oriented enterprises with a full production cycle and met with businesses in the region.

As part of her visit, the Vice Minister visited Silumin-Vostok, a major domestic manufacturer of industrial equipment in the Republic of Kazakhstan, a developer of engineering solutions, and a service provider in the energy, metallurgy, mining, petrochemical, mechanical engineering, water supply, and housing and utilities infrastructure sectors. Since 2010, the company has implemented 18 major mining projects, providing power supply and automation for gold mining plants under construction both in Kazakhstan and abroad (Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Greenland, and Armenia). The company collaborates with leading industry companies such as Kazzinc, AK Altynalmas, Ulba Metallurgical Plant, Kazakhaltyn Technology, Kazakhmys Corporation, ArxMinerals, RG Gold, and others.

Zhanel Kushukova noted the company's full-cycle production base and its potential for expanding into foreign markets. At the meeting, company representatives addressed a number of issues related to obtaining licenses for the import of power and instrument transformers, which fall under the category of "dual-use goods," as well as the need to register manufactured equipment in the National Product Catalogue starting January 1, 2026. The Vice Minister emphasized the advisability of working with the Ministry of Industry on these issues and expressed her willingness to assist in this regard.

Then, the Vice Minister toured Altai Mai LLP, a modern, full-cycle, multi-crop oil extraction plant for processing oilseeds, with a capacity of 169,000 tons of raw materials per year. Starting in December 2025, the company plans to produce up to 74,000 tons of vegetable oil (including 1,200 tons of refined oil) and 64,000 tons of meal per year. Sunflower and rapeseed from the Shemonaikhinsky, Glubokovsky, and Ulansky districts, as well as the Altai and Samara districts of the East Kazakhstan region, as well as neighboring regions, will be used for processing.

Zhanel Kushukova noted the company's unique feature, the construction of its own boiler house, which uses husks (a waste product from oil production, including sunflower seed husks) as fuel, making the full-cycle production waste-free and environmentally friendly.

Following the meeting, the Deputy Minister of Trade and Integration held a meeting with business representatives from the East Kazakhstan Region, where she discussed key areas for developing the trade sector, including supporting traders, protecting the domestic market through non-tariff and anti-dumping measures, and opportunities for export promotion.

The meeting was attended by major producers and exporters from the region, as well as Farid Abitayev, a deputy of the Regional Maslikhat. He made several proposals regarding subsidies for sunflower seed producers in the East Kazakhstan Region, meat exports, holding fairs, the possibility of introducing support measures in the form of subsidized logistics, and barriers to importing products into the Russian Federation.

"We won't know about your personal problems until you formally contact us. I need specific facts about import restrictions, the names of the companies, the names of the goods, and the HS codes." If all the necessary documents are available and the required sanitary, phytosanitary, and veterinary standards and technical regulations are met, the issue of removing the barrier can be resolved positively. Of course, this takes time; we need to negotiate, understand the specific situation, and raise it with the highest levels, but we are resolving the issues of domestic entrepreneurs. We also have a subordinate organization, QazTrade, which reimburses part of the transportation costs. Therefore, you need to submit an application there and attach the necessary documents," the Deputy Minister explained during the meeting.

Domestic trade turnover for the first nine months of 2025 increased by 14.4%, reaching 52.4 trillion tenge (compared to 45.8 trillion tenge in the first nine months of 2024), including wholesale trade at 35.0 trillion tenge and retail trade at 17.4 trillion tenge.

In the East Kazakhstan region, domestic trade turnover for January-September 2025 amounted to 1,695 billion tenge. Trade turnover between the region and the rest of the world for January-July 2025 amounted to $2.6 billion, which is 1.1% lower than for the same period of the previous year ($2.63 billion).