By ASTANA. Dec 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – Cargo transit from China through Kazakhstan doubled to 1.5 million tonnes in January-September compared to the same period in 2022, Deputy Transport Minister Satzhan Ablaliyevn said.
According to information shared in a government meeting on Tuesday, international road freight involves 42 countries. The overall trend shows a 22% growth in transport to 5.5 million tonnes in the first nine months of 2023. Notably, the total transit traffic volume during this period increased by 44%, from 2.5 million to 3.6 million tonnes.
“China is the main source of transit cargo, and it doubled in the first nine months of 2023, from 0.7 to 1.5 million tonnes,” Ablaliyev said. In comparison, 1.1 million tonnes of cargo were transported from China through Kazakhstan in 2022.
The ministry said up to 1.6 billion tonnes of cargo were transported from China to Europe by sea annually, of which only 0.01% is transported by road in transit through Kazakhstan. “Internationally, road transport is commonly chosen for medical, high-value, and time-sensitive goods. This underscores the significant potential for expanding the volume of transit cargo from China to Europe,” he said.
Ablaliev envisions a fivefold increase in transit traffic by 2029, reaching 1 million tonnes, driven by the introduction of a visa-free regime and a new agreement facilitating transit travel through China and Kazakhstan. Additionally, China’s inclusion in the European Simplified Border Crossing System (Carnet TIR) allows for customs-free transit to the destination country.
The Transport Ministry estimates that “tripling Chinese transit from 0.01% to 0.03% could contribute around 263 billion tenge per year to Kazakhstan’s economy.”
