Kazakhstan Marks Decade of WTO Membership with Robust Trade and Investment Growth
Kazakhstan celebrates the 10th anniversary of its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2024, reaffirming its role as an active and responsible participant in the global trading system.
Since joining the WTO in 2015, Kazakhstan’s foreign trade volume has grown from $76.5 billion to $134.7 billion, with exports rising from $45.8 billion to $77.6 billion. Nearly 98% of Kazakhstan’s trade is now conducted with WTO member states, according to the Ministry of Trade and Integration.
Membership has enhanced the country’s investment attractiveness, as foreign direct investment increased from $4.1 billion in 2015 to $12.7 billion in 2024. This progress reflects Kazakhstan’s commitment to transparency, predictability, and consistent regulatory policies.
A milestone was Kazakhstan’s chairmanship of the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference in Geneva in 2022, recognized as one of the most successful in the organization’s history. The country also underwent its First Trade Policy Review in 2024, where member states praised Kazakhstan’s reforms in trade policy, economic diversification, and efforts to strengthen global trade stability. WTO accession has also advanced customs modernization through the adoption of electronic declarations, a Single Window system, and automated data processing, reducing clearance times from two days to just 20 minutes.
Photo credit: Kazakh Ministry of Trade and Integration.
