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From the end of May the U.S. will restrict exports of all firearms to non-government entities in high-risk countries, including Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Commerce. According to the statement, the Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued a regulation “amending the Department’s licensing policy for exports of firearms, ammunition, and related components under its jurisdiction.” The decision concerns export to non-governmental organizations. Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan are among 36 countries included on the list of high-risk nations. As part of the new changes to the regulations, the administration is also shortening the validity period of arms export licenses to one year from four years. The changes are aimed at reducing the risk of increasing instability in the regions of the world through the illicit use of American weapons.
Remittances to Uzbekistan from Russia have decreased by 68 % in the first quarter in 2024. Declining remittances have been observed since 2023, when Uzbeks working in Russia sent $8.58 billion home. According to experts at the World Bank, the reasons for the decline were several: a decrease in the number of migrant workers in Russia, devaluation of the ruble, and inflation keeping more of labor migrants' income in Russia to fund their basic needs. Uzbekistan became the leading nation in receiving remittances from Kazakhstan in 2023, at $588.62 million for the year. Remittances from Uzbeks living and working abroad account for 17.8% of the country's (gross domestic product) GDP. Uzbekistan continues to actively support labor migrants who wish to find employment abroad, offering them reimbursement for tickets and professional certification costs, and offering training in various professions and languages, as well as material and legal assistance. In parallel, the state is opening new markets for labor migration - among them Germany, Britain, Japan, South Korea, and Israel. Citizens of Uzbekistan with the appropriate qualifications and language skills can earn salaries abroad of $1,000-$1,500 per month.
The Kyrgyz Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Resources has urged more domestic businesses to establish and expand trade in agricultural produce with the People's Republic of China (PRC). Kyrgyz farmers and processors currently export wheat flour, cherries, melons, grapes and soybeans to China and to increase food exports, the ministry has issued a series of guidelines. Entrepreneurs and small-business owners must first be registered on the website of the General Customs Administration of the PRC, and to satisfy Chinese demand, ensure that their produce is devoid of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and harmful additives. "It should be noted that requirements on the Chinese side differ according to risks posed by individual plant products," warned the Kyrgyz Ministry of Agriculture, "and conducts a comprehensive inspection of produce provided by first-time exporters." In his address at an earlier conference in Bishkek, Chinese Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Du Dewen confirmed China's need for imports from organic agriculture vendors and plans to improve trade relations with Kyrgyzstan. According to the General Customs Administration, Kyrgyzstan increased its annual export to China by over two-fold in the first quarter of 2024, and total bilateral trade turnover stands at $4.5 billion per year. In a recent list provided by Chinese authorities, Beijing requires beef, poultry, fish, as well as cowhides, sheep, goats, and washed wool and cashmere.
Members of Kazakhstan's government and representatives of the Taliban have discussed expanding transportation links between Astana and Kabul, according to the Kazakh government's press service. The Kazakh side has said it's ready to participate in projects to develop the Trans-Afghan corridor: the construction of the railroad routes Termez - Mazar-e-Sharif - Kabul - Peshawar and Herat - Kandahar - Spin - Buldak. The projects, say Kazakh officials, will make it possible to reduce the cargo-transit time between the countries of the region almost 90%, as well as reducing the costs. Kazakhstan is ready to participate in the construction of a Trans-Afghan highway by supplying sleepers and fasteners to Afghanistan. Representatives of the national rail carrier Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, or KTZ, spoke about the new cargo delivery route. "Today we launched a pilot project to organize a new multimodal export route from Kazakhstan through Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and further by sea to the port of Jebel Ali in the UAE. The new route is organized with the participation of KTZ Express. The exporter is Kazakhstan's Bio Synergy, and the shipping partner is Pakistan's National Logistics Cell (NLC). The loading of cargo has already started in Pavlodar region. That cargo is aluminosilicate hollow microsphere. In Almaty, the cargo will be reloaded into containers and transferred to the cars of the Pakistani partner. From there by motor transport it will pass through Uzbekistan and Afghanistan to the port of Karachi in Pakistan. From there, two containers will be sent by sea to the port of Jebel Ali in the UAE," commented KTZ's managing director Bauyrzhan Urynbasarov. The parties also discussed the possibility of arranging more flights between the countries. Under earlier agreements, air carriers from Kazakhstan and Afghanistan have the right to perform three regular passenger/cargo flights per week. Kazakhstan is ready to consider accepting more flights from Afghan airlines. Over the past three years the volume of exports from Kazakhstan to Afghanistan has been steadily growing. In 2023, the volume of transportation by rail amounted to 2.7 million tons, of which 1.5 million tons was flour and grain. In December 2023 Kazakhstan removed the Taliban from its list of banned organizations. According to the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Taliban was no longer classed as a banned organization "in accordance with the practice of the UN [United Nations]."
Russia has warned Kazakhstan about the possible suspension of Kazakh crude oil transshipment to Germany through the Druzhba oil pipeline system. The stated reason is the debt of Polish pipeline operator PERN, according to a report by Reuters. Reuters, citing people familiar with the matter, claims that Russia's Transneft has warned its Kazakh partner KazTransOil about the suspension of oil deliveries to the Schwedt refinery. The reason for this demarche is the outstanding debts of Polish state pipeline operator PERN. If the Polish company doesn't pay for the services of oil acceptance and transfer at the Polish transit point Adamova Zastava on the border with Belarus by June, the transit will be stopped. The amount of the debt is unknown. PERN explained its version of the situation by citing western sanctions against Russia. Payment of money to the Russian side can lead to violations of the sanctions regime. According to comments made by the Kazakh Ministry of Energy, the Kazakh government itself looks at the possibility of transit suspension very negatively. KazTransOil said that the plan of deliveries to Germany remains unchanged, and that negotiations with all participants of the process are underway. Curiously, the Ministry of Energy denied the Reuters report, claiming that "the information does not correspond to reality." In early April it was reported that the Kazakh side intends to supply 1.2 million tons of oil to the Schwedt refinery by the end of the year. This would not be the first case involving a cessation of Kazakh oil transiting Russian territory. Earlier, there were repeated problems with the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal in Novorossiysk, Russia, on the Black Sea. Some analysts believe that Russia uses oil transportation as an instrument to apply pressure to the Kazakh government.
Uzbekistan exported gold worth $2.66 billion in the first quarter (January-March) of 2024. In 1Q 2024, Uzbekistan's total foreign trade turnover amounted to $15.8 billion, which is almost $1 billion (6.2%) more than in the same period in 2023. Exports increased by 10% to $6.38 billion, and imports increased to $9.44 billion. The foreign trade deficit decreased slightly and amounted to $3.05 billion, which is $232.2 million less than in 2023. In 1Q 2024, gold exports increased by 10.5% annually and amounted to $2.66 billion -- in 1Q 2023, the figure was $2.41 billion. Revenues from gold exports comprised 41.7% of the country’s total exports. More than $1.35 billion worth of gold was exported in March, or nearly the same amount as in February ($1.32 billion). Looking at the total annual figures, in 2023 Uzbekistan's total export volume was $24.4 billion. Of that sum, 33.4%, or $8.1 billion, was accounted for by gold exports.
