Kazakhstan Targets Deeper Rare-Metals Processing and New Gallium and Antimony Output
Kazakhstan plans to launch gallium and antimony production in 2026 as it shifts from exporting ores toward higher-value processing. Its 2024–2028 industry plan targets at least 40% growth in rare and rare-earth metals output and five new production facilities.
Kazakhstan shifts its focus from ore to processed materials
Kazakhstan is expanding its rare-metals industry with a greater emphasis on domestic processing, higher-value products and technology transfer. The policy responds to rising demand from renewable energy, electric vehicles, electronics, permanent magnets, batteries, defense and aerospace manufacturing, according to Kazinform.
The country already produces and exports several intermediate products, including titanium, tantalum, beryllium, niobium, rhenium, bismuth, selenium, tellurium and high-purity manganese sulfate monohydrate, or HPMSM. Titanium, tungsten, molybdenum and antimony are also exported as raw materials, leaving scope to retain more processing value inside Kazakhstan.
The Ministry of Industry and Construction plans to launch new gallium and antimony production in 2026. The projects are intended to deepen mineral processing and increase exports of products at more advanced stages of production. They form part of Kazakhstan’s broader 2024–2028 plan for rare and rare-earth metals.
Ore exports show Kazakhstan’s existing trade position
Ministry data cited by Kazinform show that Kazakhstan exported six types of ores and concentrates to European Union countries during the 2023–2026 period. In 2023, these shipments totaled 3,262.7 tonnes and were valued at $60.5 million. Molybdenum ore and concentrate accounted for 3,144.7 tonnes and $60.2 million, representing almost all the reported value.
Chromium ore and concentrate exports also increased significantly in 2025. Kazakhstan shipped 129,290.5 tonnes to Sweden with a total value of $44.2 million. Deliveries on this route continued during the first half of 2026. The figures underline Kazakhstan’s established role as a supplier of mineral raw materials and primary processed products to Europe.
Cooperation with the EU is governed by a strategic partnership memorandum on sustainable raw-material supply chains, battery materials and renewable hydrogen, signed on November 7, 2022. A roadmap followed in 2023, and a new cooperation plan for 2025–2026 was approved in 2025. The agenda covers exploration, mine development, processing, enrichment, battery materials, ESG standards, research and workforce training.
Exploration, investment and technology remain critical
One project involves Germany’s HMS Bergbau AG in the East Kazakhstan Region. Through Alatau Lithium, Qazaq Lithium and Bergbau Altai, the company is pursuing exploration, mining and processing projects for complex ores containing rare metals, including lithium.
Kazakhstan has identified more than 120 rare-earth-metal deposits containing resources such as vanadium, titanium, zirconium, tantalum, niobium, lithium, molybdenum, tungsten and beryllium. The state balance also lists about 41 technogenic mineral formations containing rare-earth metals, of which 31 have been transferred for subsoil use. The government wants processing to include these formations, industrial waste and electronic scrap, alongside conventional deposits.
The 2024–2028 plan targets a 40% increase in domestic and foreign investment in exploration and mining, and growth of at least 40% in rare and rare-earth metals production. It also provides for five new production facilities, five new products and the introduction of five technologies. Constraints include insufficient exploration, aging equipment, limited modern technology, dependence on imported raw materials and gaps in regulation.
Licensing policy links access to local industrial commitments
New auction rules adopted in 2026 define procedures for exploration and solid-mineral extraction licenses. A company that discovers a deposit through licensed exploration may obtain an exclusive right to apply for a mining license for that site. Subsoil users must meet minimum spending, safety, environmental, training and research obligations.
Legislative changes adopted in 2025 also created special access for production and innovation projects valued above 14.5 million monthly calculation indices and included in the Unified Industrialization Map. Eligible projects may acquire exploration or extraction rights for solid minerals, excluding uranium and coal, within a designated territory. Licenses can carry commitments covering investment, wages, domestic processing, training and technology transfer, making local value creation a condition of Kazakhstan’s minerals strategy rather than a secondary objective.
