Kazakhstan to import metallurgical raw materials from Afghanistan

Kazakhstan has reached agreements to import metallurgical raw materials from Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan as part of efforts to ensure a stable supply for the country’s metals industry, Kazakh Minister of Industry and Construction Yersaiyn Nagaspayev announced on Tuesday.

Speaking at a government meeting, Nagaspayev said the new import agreements are intended to strengthen raw material supplies to Kazakhstan’s metallurgical plants after production in the sector slowed during the first half of 2026.

According to the minister, metallurgical output reached 97.3 percent of planned levels in the first six months of the year. He attributed the slowdown to scheduled maintenance at industrial facilities and the gradual depletion of Kazakhstan’s domestic mineral resource base.

Despite those challenges, Nagaspayev said the sector’s performance improved by 1.8 percent compared with the first five months of the year, largely due to measures aimed at securing reliable supplies of raw materials.

He said domestic producers have increased deliveries of copper, zinc and gold-bearing ores to processing plants, while shipments of zinc concentrate have resumed. In addition, Kazakhstan has finalized agreements to import raw materials from Afghanistan and neighbouring Kyrgyzstan to support the country’s metallurgical industry.

The move highlights Afghanistan’s growing role as a regional supplier of mineral resources. The country is believed to possess significant untapped deposits of copper, iron ore, lithium and a range of other strategic minerals, attracting increasing interest from neighbouring countries seeking to diversify supply chains and strengthen regional trade.