Kazakhstan produces 19 of the 34 critical raw materials listed by the European Union, its Ministry of Industry and Construction reported on February 6th. Kazakhstani manufacturers currently supply the European market with metal and chemical products including beryllium, tantalum, titanium, phosphorus, and ammonium metavanadate.
Kazakhstan is among the world’s 10 largest copper producers. The country also has the potential to establish a cluster for the production of battery raw materials such as nickel, cobalt, manganese, and lithium, which are essential for the production of electric vehicles.
In November 2023 in Brussels, Belgium, a delegation from Kazakhstan, headed by the minister for industry and construction, Kanat Sharlapaev, participated in the European Commission’s ‘Raw Materials Week’. The event addressed the memorandum of understanding between Kazakhstan and the EU on strategic partnership in the field of sustainable raw materials, batteries, and value chains in renewable hydrogen.
The EU remains one of Kazakhstan’s leading trade, economic, and investment partners, accounting for about 30% of its foreign trade turnover, which was $37.7bn between January and November 2023.
