Kazakhstan bans apple imports from all countries through 2026
Kazakhstan has banned apple imports from all countries, including its EAEU partners, from September 3 through December 31, 2026. The measure protects domestic growers but removes an important potential outlet for Kyrgyz farmers selling apples at 3 soms per kilogram.
Ban covers every supplier and transport mode
Kazakhstan has prohibited apple imports from September 3 through December 31, 2026, closing its market to deliveries from all countries during the domestic harvest and marketing season. The Agriculture Ministry’s order applies to every mode of transport and covers both third countries and members of the Eurasian Economic Union, or EAEU. The bloc includes Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Armenia.
The scope is broader than the temporary restriction introduced in October 2024. According to Kapital.kz, that four-month measure covered road shipments from third countries but exempted EAEU members. The 2026 order therefore removes both the regional exemption and the limitation to road transport, restricting a wider range of suppliers and logistics routes.
Transit and previously dispatched cargo remain exempt
Apples may still move through Kazakhstan in transit if their destination is outside the country. This includes shipments passing across Kazakh territory from one EAEU member state to another. The exemption preserves Kazakhstan’s role as a transit corridor while preventing the fruit from entering its domestic market.
Cargo placed under an export customs procedure in the country of origin before September 3 may also be admitted. Importers must provide an export declaration and transport documents confirming that the consignment was dispatched before the order took effect. Shipments moving under customs transit require a transit declaration. Apples physically imported before September 3, including fruit held in temporary storage, are also exempt if their prior entry can be documented.
Government targets a larger market for local growers
The Agriculture Ministry said the restriction is intended to support Kazakh orchard operators, secure stable sales for their produce and reduce dependence on foreign supplies. Informburo.kz reported that domestic production met about 73% of Kazakhstan’s apple demand in 2025, while imports totaled 94,400 tonnes. Those figures indicate that overseas fruit still covered a substantial part of the market before the new restriction.
The ban gives domestic producers priority access during the remaining months of 2026, but it also shifts responsibility for availability and pricing toward local orchards, storage operators and distributors. Previously imported and previously dispatched cargo can provide a limited buffer. Once those eligible consignments clear the market, buyers will depend more heavily on Kazakh production until the restriction expires.
Kyrgyz growers lose a nearby sales option
The measure has immediate regional implications for Kyrgyzstan, despite both countries belonging to the EAEU. Informburo.kz reported that Kyrgyz farmers had begun selling apples for 3 soms per kilogram. Kazakhstan’s Agriculture Ministry said the country would not follow Uzbekistan in purchasing the fruit, citing support for its own growers and lower reliance on imports.
For Kyrgyz producers, the closure removes a neighboring market at a time of depressed farmgate prices. They may have to place more fruit domestically, find alternative buyers such as Uzbekistan or absorb additional storage and transport costs. Kazakh growers, by contrast, face less foreign competition and gain more leverage with wholesalers. The commercial benefit will depend on whether domestic production, inventories and the exempt cargo can cover demand without creating supply gaps or sharp price movements before December 31.
