BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 22. A contract for the supply of zinc ore has been signed between Kazakhstan's ShalkiyaZinc and Afghan company Afghan German Bakhtar Company, the Ministry of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan reported.
The signing took place during the opening of the Trade House in Kabul as part of a business mission of the Kazakh delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin to Afghanistan.
The contract provides for zinc ore supplies on DAP terms with an estimated annual volume of 30,000 tons. The main purpose of the agreement is to supply raw materials for the production facilities of Kazzinc. The total value of the contract amounts to $18.88 million.
“Afghanistan today is a market of opportunities. The country’s population exceeds 40 million people, and the economy is showing stable growth. While Kazakh exports previously consisted mainly of flour, grain, sunflower oil and other agricultural products, new areas of cooperation are now emerging. Afghan demand is growing for machinery, equipment, and service solutions in agriculture, construction, and mining. We see strong potential for expanding Kazakhstan’s non-resource exports and expect the Trade House in Kabul to become an effective platform for new projects,” said Kanat Kudaibergen, Chairman of the Board of GWM Capital LTD.
Recently, during negotiations held by Zhumangarin with Afghanistan’s Prime Minister Mohammad Hasan Akhund and Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar, Kazakhstan expressed interest in the supply of zinc ore from Afghanistan.
In October last year, specialists from Tau-Ken Samruk visited Bamyan province, where they collected samples at the Pami-Kakrak zinc deposit. Subsequent chemical analysis conducted by Kazzinc confirmed the fundamental possibility of processing this ore at Kazakh enterprises.
According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of National Economy, bilateral trade between the countries reached $541.8 million in 2025. In order to further develop economic relations, the target has been set to increase trade turnover to $3 billion in the near term.
