Kazakhstan Reinforces Its Position in Global Mineral Markets
Kazakhstan is well-positioned to ensure a steady supply of critical minerals, meeting the rising global demand driven by the energy transition and the electric vehicle market. According to an analytical overview by experts from the Administration of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), there are nine groups of goods with export potential, including those that have already been exported by Kazakhstan and promising resources such as lithium, nickel, gold, and rare-earth metals, according to the AIFC press service on July 9.
Kazakhstan currently has competitive advantages in exporting zinc, copper, lead, silver, and aluminum. The country holds nearly 5% of the global zinc market, with reserves ranked seventh worldwide at 6.7 million tons as of 2023. Major export destinations for Kazakhstan’s zinc include Türkiye, Russia, and China, making up nearly 70% of exports.
In copper, Kazakhstan's market share is around 4%, backed by reserves ranked 11th globally at 20 million tons. Key export partners for copper are China, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates. Kazakhstan's lead market share is almost 3%. In 2021, the country had the eighth largest reserves in the world with two million tons and ranked 12th in mine production with 40,000 tons. Global demand is projected to grow from 11.6 million tons in 2022 to 13.4 million tons by 2031.
Kazakhstan’s global aluminum market share is under 1%. In 2023, the country ranked 11th globally in bauxite reserves with 160 million tons and tenth in mine production with 4.3 million tons. Türkiye, Italy, and Greece were the top three destinations for the country’s aluminum exports in 2022.(Source:astanatimes)
