Kazakhstan Signs $18.8 Million Zinc Supply Deal with Afghanistan

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Trade and Integration announced that the country’s company, Shalkiya Zinc, has signed a major contract with Afghan German Bakhter to supply approximately 30,000 tons of zinc ore annually. The total value of the contract is estimated at $18.88 million, with the zinc ore intended to be used as raw material in Kazakhstan’s KazZinc production facilities.

The agreement was signed concurrently with the opening of the Kazakhstan Trade House in Kabul, during an official trade delegation led by Serik Zhumangarin, Kazakhstan’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy. According to the agreement, the zinc ore will be delivered under Delivered At Place (DAP) terms.

Kazakh officials regard this deal as a new step towards expanding economic cooperation with Afghanistan, which had previously focused mainly on exporting agricultural products such as flour, grain, and sunflower oil. Now, cooperation is extending into the mining and industrial sectors as well.

Kanat Kudaibergen, Chairman of the Board of JWM Capital, described Afghanistan as an “opportunity-driven market,” noting increasing demand for machinery, equipment, and services in agriculture, construction, and mining sectors. He expressed hope that the newly established Trade House in Kabul will become a platform for new projects and the expansion of Kazakhstan’s non-resource exports.

This agreement follows recent meetings and talks between Kazakh officials and Taliban representatives, including Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund and Abdul Ghani Baradar, during which Kazakhstan expressed interest in importing zinc ore from Afghanistan.

Preparations for the contract began last year when specialists from the Tau-Ken Samruk company visited the Pami-Kukrak mine in Bamyan province and collected samples for analysis. Following tests, KazZinc confirmed the feasibility of processing this zinc ore in its facilities.

Economic relations between the two countries have shown steady growth in recent years. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of National Economy reported that bilateral trade volume reached $541.8 million in 2025. Both sides have set a target to increase this figure to $3 billion annually in the coming years.