Trump Announces New Tariffs on Kazakhstan

President Donald Trump has announced a 25% tariff on all Kazakh imports to the United States, effective August 1, 2025, in a formal letter sent to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

In the letter, Trump described the U.S.-Kazakhstan trade relationship as “far from reciprocal,” blaming longstanding tariff and non-tariff barriers imposed by Kazakhstan for creating a persistent trade deficit harmful to U.S. economic and national security interests, The Caspian Post reports, citing CNBC.

While reaffirming Washington’s commitment to working with Astana, Trump invited Kazakh companies to invest in U.S.-based manufacturing instead, promising fast-track approvals for domestic operations.

He also warned that any retaliatory tariff hikes from Kazakhstan would be met with proportional increases on top of the new 25% rate. The move, Trump said, is aimed at correcting years of “unfair trade practices” and rebalancing bilateral commerce on more equitable terms.