European Commission Directorate-General for Trade

Kazakhstan

The EU-Kazakhstan bilateral trade and economic relations have been growing strongly since 2002. The EU has progressively become Kazakhstan's first trade partner, with almost 40% share in its total external trade. Kazakhstan's exports to the EU are heavily dominated by oil and gas which accounted for more than 80% of its total exports in 2007.

Kazakhstan's importance as an oil and gas supplier to the EU is growing. Kazakhstan is in the process of working towards accession to the WTO, with the strong support of the EU.

EU-Kazakhstan bilateral trade and economic relations have been developing quickly since 2002

Trade in goods

• EU good exports to Kazakhstan 2007: €6.04 billion
• EU goods imports from Kazakhstan 2007: €13.35 billion

Trade in services

• EU27 Total services exports to Kazakhstan 2006: €1.92 billion
• EU27 Total service imports from Kazakhstan 2006: €1.52 billion

Foreign Direct Investment

Kazakhstan has benefited from very strong FDI flows in recent years, largely to its booming oil and gas sector. FDI inflow in 2006 totalled $7.3 billion, of which almost half originated in the EU.

More statistics on Kazakhstan

Trade and economic relations between the EU and Kazakhstan are governed by the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement signed in 1999. The EU Strategy for Central Asia is also an important framework for relations.

Because Kazakhstan is not yet a member of the WTO, trade in a certain number of key products between the EU and Kazakhstan is governed by bilateral or autonomous agreements. Since the expiry of the EC-Kazakhstan steel agreement at the end of 2006, the bilateral trade in steel has been based on autonomous measures. Once signed, a new agreement will replace these measures. Following the expiry of the EC-Kazakhstan textiles agreement at the end of 2004, the two sides concluded an additional Protocol to the PCA extending its provisions on trade in textiles in 2006, which still needs to be signed to be allowed to enter into force.