Kazakh foreign trade surplus shrank to USD 24.5bn in Jan-Aug, down from USD 29.2bn reported in the same period of previous year, according to the State Stat Agency. Exports shrank by 5.1% y/y to USD 55.2bn while imports expanded by 5.7% y/y to USD 30.7bn. Kazakhstan exported mainly to Italy (17.3% share in total exports), China (16.4%), Netherlands (13%), France (7.3%) and Russia (6.9%). On the other hand, imports came mainly from Russia (36.2%), China (17.4%), Ukraine (5.4%), the USA (5%) and Germany (4.8%). Kazakhstan exports are dominated by oil and metals.
Ukrainian outlet Kyiv Post on August 2 reported sources within Ukraine's Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR) as stating that an explosion in Russia disabled a section of ... more
Construction work on the proposed Trans-Afghan Railway could be under way within six months, while the project could cost around $4.6bn to deliver and cut shipping transit times from Uzbekistan to ... more
Central Asia experienced an unusually intense heatwave in March that could have an impact on agricultural crop yields, according to an April 4 ... more