ASTANA (TCA) — Issues of export policy and measures to support exporters were considered at the meeting of the Kazakh Government on May 2, the official website of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan reported.
Minister for Investments and Development, Zhenis Kassymbek, reported on the implementation of the National Export Strategy approved in 2017. According to him, the key objective of this strategy is to increase non-oil exports 1.5-fold by 2022.
Kassymbek said that from 2013 to 2017, the share of manufacturing exports in total exports of Kazakhstan increased from 23% to 32%.
Kazakhstan’s foreign trade increased by 25% to $69.5 billion, exports increased by 30% and amounted to $48.3 billion.
“This year there is a positive export trend. So, for 2 months of 2018, according to operative data, exports amounted to more than $8.8 billion, which is 27.4% higher than in the same period last year,” the Minister said.
The geography of exports includes 122 countries. The key markets are China, the EEU and EU countries, which together account for more than 65% of Kazakh exports. The Government provides financial and service support for export promotion.
Minister of National Economy, Timur Suleimenov, said at the meeting that along with the growth of exports, the product line also expanded: supplies to foreign markets of household appliances, buses, rolled metal products, construction tools, vegetable oils, sugar, paper and other products increased (exports of these goods amounted to $1.5 billion).
First Vice Minister of Agriculture, Arman Yevniev, in his report said that in 2017, the export of agricultural products increased by 12.5%, including processed products — by 10.7%.
This was facilitated by the ongoing work on the harmonization of veterinary and phytosanitary requirements with China, the countries of the Middle East, as well as European countries.