The Kazakh government is actively addressing concerns that Russia might use Kazakhstan as a backdoor to bypass EU and US sanctions. This issue was highlighted by Akylzhan Baimagambetov, Deputy Chairman of the Central Bank of the Republic, in a report by Orda.kz.
As Baimagambetov explains, a close look at export volumes to Russia shows that there was no year‑over‑year growth in 2022 compared with 2021. This situation places Kazakh producers at risk of becoming targets for secondary sanctions, a reality that could ripple through the broader economy and the region.
He notes that when sanctions are engaged in trade, the government aims to prevent such actions, particularly the export of dual‑use goods from Kazakhstan to Russia. The risk here is that dual‑use items, which can serve civilian and military purposes, attract heightened scrutiny and could trigger additional restrictions for Kazakh businesses.
Nevertheless, Baimagambetov emphasized that secondary sanctions against any country would create significant challenges for that country and the surrounding area. The policy stance remains one of caution and balance as the country seeks to navigate complex sanctions landscapes while maintaining healthy trade relationships.
In his assessment, Kazakhstan strives to maintain neutrality in its dealings with Russia. Russia stands as the nation’s largest trading partner, so a careful, balanced approach is necessary to minimize negative spillovers into Kazakhstan’s economic activity. The deputy chairman underscored that sanctions against Russia inevitably affect Kazakhstan as well, with certain sectors feeling the impact more acutely.
To this end, Kazakh authorities are pursuing every viable measure to avoid being used as a conduit to bypass sanctions. The aim is to preserve transparent, rule‑based trade that reduces the risk of sanction circumvention and protects the integrity of national markets.
A related industry observation notes that more than one billion dollars worth of European dual‑use goods were reportedly diverted through Russia to Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, illustrating the scale of cross‑border movement and the complexity of compliance in the region. This point, reported by the Financial Times, underscores the heightened attention international regulators bring to these routes and the importance of robust export controls (Financial Times).”