Geography and structure of the foreign trade of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the 1990–2010s

Abstract

This article examines the foreign trade of Kazakhstan during three decades of its independent development. A special attention is paid to the analysis of structural characteristics of exports and imports. Changes in trade volumes with main partners as well as the number of commodity names in trade are of particular interest. Based on foreign trade indicators, it can be concluded that in the early 2020s, similar to the 2000s and 2010s, Kazakhstan’s exports were dominated by hydrocarbons, with metals, minerals, chemicals and crops still accounting for a significant share of export trade. Imports were dominated by manufactures, particularly electrical machinery and equipment, as well as transportation. During the 2000s and 2010s, the main consumers of Kazakhstan’s exports often included China, Italy, France, Russia and the Netherlands. During the same period, the main importers were Republic of Korea, Germany, Russia, Italy, USA and Ukraine. The results of the paper may be useful for the planning of public policies and for the long-term development strategies of commercial enterprises; the results can also be used to prepare educational programmes on Central Asian economies.

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