Kazakh Food Finds Wider Market in China After CIIE 2025

Kazakhstan’s food exports to China are set to grow following a new partnership agreement signed at the China International Import Expo (CIIE 2025) in Shanghai.

Kazakhstan’s Trade Policy Development Center, QazTrade, signed the agreement with Optimize Integration Group (OIG), one of China’s leading food importers that accounts for 18% of the country’s total frozen meat imports, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Times of Central Asia.

The partnership is designed to boost digital trade and establish online platforms to facilitate the entry of Kazakhstani food products into the Chinese market.

Under the terms of the agreement, both sides will jointly promote Kazakh agricultural and food products, improve logistics infrastructure, and develop digital trade technologies and payment systems.

“This partnership with OIG, one of the most technologically advanced and influential trading platforms in China, opens up significant opportunities,” said QazTrade CEO Aitmukhamed Aldazharov. “Kazakhstani producers will not only increase their exports to China but will also integrate into advanced digital supply chains. This is a major step forward for e-commerce and mutual trust between our countries.”

At CIIE 2025, QazTrade also showcased the growing potential of Kazakhstan’s agricultural cooperatives. In collaboration with the National Association of Cooperatives of Kazakhstan and China Coop, China’s largest cooperative retail network, Kazakh products such as honey, kumis, and confectionery are set to enter the Chinese retail market. China Coop encompasses over 340,000 retail outlets with annual turnover exceeding 7 trillion yuan.

Aldazharov expressed confidence in the cooperatives’ prospects, noting that joint market research has been conducted, trial shipments arranged, and priority export categories identified. These include vegetable oil, meat, honey, dairy beverages, and confectionery.

In parallel, QazTrade is launching an acceleration and training program aimed at Chinese companies seeking to expand their operations in Kazakhstan and across Central Asia.