ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 3. Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan has issued a statement regarding the new U.S. customs duties on a range of goods, Trend reports.
The Ministry noted that a preliminary analysis of the new trade measures being implemented by the U.S. side showed that a significant portion of Kazakhstan's exports to the U.S. is not subject to additional tariffs, as it is included in the list of exemptions provided by U.S. administrative regulations.
"The core of Kazakhstan's exports to the U.S. consists of crude oil, uranium, silver, ferroalloys, and others. These categories, which account for 92 percent of supplies, are included in the list of exemptions provided by the U.S. President’s Decree 'On Regulating Imports Through Reciprocal Tariffs to Eliminate Trade Practices Leading to a Significant and Persistent U.S. Trade Deficit in Goods'," the Ministry’s statement said.
Moreover, it was noted that the additional tariffs will apply to certain groups of goods, the export of which amounted to $95.2 million in 2024. These include phosphorus ($15.9 million in exports in 2024), ferrosilicon ($12.7 million), lenses ($4.1 million), wheat gluten ($4 million), and ammonium nitrate ($2.4 million).
"The introduced tariff measures will affect only 4.8 percent of the total volume of Kazakhstan's exports to the U.S. The government is initiating consultations with the U.S. side to discuss the possibility of excluding additional duties for Kazakhstan," the Ministry emphasized.
The Ministry also noted that the Republic of Kazakhstan has been a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) for about 10 years and strictly adheres to its principles in implementing foreign trade policies.
"As part of bilateral cooperation with the U.S., Kazakhstan ensures equal and non-discriminatory trade conditions following international commitments," the Ministry of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan concluded.
According to the Bureau of National Statistics of Kazakhstan, the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and the U.S. reached $4.2 billion in 2024, which is 4 percent higher compared to the previous year ($4.1 billion). Kazakhstan's exports to the U.S. grew by 30.6 percent and amounted to $2.0 billion. The import of goods from the U.S. to Kazakhstan amounted to $2.2 billion.
On April 2 each year, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he would impose the highest tariffs on Kazakhstan among the Central Asian countries - 27 percent, compared to 10 percent for its neighbors.