Kazakhstan announces partial ban on wheat imports from July

The government of Kazakhstan plans to introduce a partial ban on wheat imports from July 2026. The relevant regulatory act is currently at the approval stage, the country’s Deputy Minister of Agriculture Azat Sultanov said.

According to him, the decision is related to large transitional stocks of grain that have accumulated in the country and require additional storage capacity. The authorities consider import restrictions as a tool to stimulate the domestic market and support national producers.

The draft document has already been published on the open data portal. According to it, the partial ban regime may be in effect for six months. At the same time, wheat imports will remain permitted for certain categories – in particular, for flour milling and poultry enterprises, licensed elevators and the National Food Corporation.

Additionally, the restrictions are explained by the market situation in the region, in particular, the harvest of winter crops in Russia – a key supplier of wheat to Kazakhstan. According to the Grain Union of Kazakhstan, from September 2025 to April 2026, imports of Russian wheat amounted to 1.54 million tons, but in April, supplies decreased significantly.

Tags: Russia, Kazakhstan, wheat, restrictions