Trade turnover between China and Central Asian states grew by 31.9% in 2022, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Integration Serik Zhumangarin announced on Tuesday (18 April).
Mr Zhumangarin was speaking in an online meeting leading up to the upcoming China+Central Asia (C+C5) Summit in the Chinese city of Xi’an in May.
The online meeting was also attended by the trade and economy ministers of China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
According to Mr Zhumangarin, exports of Kazakh products to China increased by more than a third and amounted to $13.2 billion, while imports of Chinese goods to Kazakhstan grew by 33.5% and are estimated at $11 billion. Across the whole of Central Asia, however, this figure grew by 31.9% totalling $32.1 billion.
"The Chinese market is a reliable consumer of our products. We are ready to offer a wide range of industrial and agricultural goods for 135 additional commodity items worth over $1 billion," the Deputy Prime Minister said.
He also stressed the importance of developing e-commerce, increasing transport connectivity of the region, consistently improving export and transit conditions, and developing interregional and cross-border cooperation.
