Kazakhstan Upholds Six-Month Fuel Export Ban

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy has confirmed that the country’s six-month ban on fuel exports remains fully in place, with no gasoline shipments currently being sent to Uzbekistan or other neighboring nations.

Officials acknowledged a single exception earlier this year, when surplus volumes of AI-92 gasoline were exported to Uzbekistan in the spring, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Times of Central Asia.

The ministry characterized the shipment as a routine measure aligned with international practice, designed to optimize domestic storage and increase tax revenues.

Since June, all fuel exports have been suspended to build strategic reserves ahead of scheduled maintenance at Kazakhstan’s oil refineries. The ban, introduced on May 19, covers gasoline, diesel, and other petroleum products.

Speculation over renewed fuel shortages in Kazakhstan surfaced in local media on September 22, with reports citing illegal cross-border smuggling as a contributing factor. Some sources also claimed that Uzbekistan had increased purchases of Kazakh gasoline amid a decline in fuel imports from Russia.

In response, the Ministry of Energy reiterated that no current fuel exports are taking place and emphasized that the export moratorium is being strictly enforced.