ASTANA, Kazakhstan, November 28. Kazakhstan is actively working to expand its infrastructure capacity in order to accommodate the growing demand for cargo transport from China to Europe, Trend reports.
This was stated during a meeting between Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov and Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Ding Xuexiang.
According to Alikhan Smailov, Kazakhstan now transports around 85 percent of commodities from China to Europe.
Furthermore, the parties considered expediting customs procedures.
As a result, the two countries' customs services reached an agreement today to boost the capacity and operation hours of border motor checkpoints. The Nur Zholy - Khorgos checkpoint, in particular, began functioning around the clock, while the remaining automotive checkpoints switched to a 12-hour, seven-day schedule.
"Border crossing times have been reduced as a result of digitalization and process automation. It is critical to keep working in this direction," the Prime Minister added.
Alikhan Smailov also noted the importance of further increasing the number of flights between countries.
In 2022, Kazakhstan’s trade turnover with China amounted to $24.1 billion, which is 34.1 percent more than a year earlier.
Exports from Kazakhstan increased over the year by 34.7 percent, to $13.2 billion. The share of Kazakhstan's exports to China accounted for a significant 15.6 percent of the country's total trade turnover.
Imports from China to Kazakhstan grew by 33.5 percent over the year, to $11 billion. China's share in the structure of imports of the Republic of Kazakhstan amounted to 21.9 percent.