BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 31. The next phase of the relationship between Kazakhstan and the U.S. can increasingly be about bringing American technology and expertise to Kazakhstan, not simply American products, Executive Director of AmCham Kazakhstan Jeff Erlich told Trend in an exclusive interview.
"We see significant potential in agriculture and food processing, transport and logistics, mining and critical minerals, IT and AI, healthcare, and education. Agriculture in particular remains underinvested relative to Kazakhstan’s potential, and American companies can bring not only equipment, but technology, data, expertise, and more efficient approaches to production. Kazakhstan’s geography, natural resources, growing population, and strong human capital create opportunities across all of these sectors. The next phase of the relationship can increasingly be about bringing American technology and expertise to Kazakhstan, not simply American products," Erlich said.
Erlich noted that Kazakhstan has long been an attractive market for American companies due to political stability, an educated and growing population, significant natural resources, and a strategic location between major global markets. He added that Kazakhstan is now seeing increasing diversification beyond oil and gas.
"At the same time, Kazakhstan is competing for investment not only with its neighbors, but with countries around the world. Investors value predictability: if a company is committing significant capital for the long term, it needs confidence that the rules of the game will remain reasonably stable," Erlich said.
He added that AmCham maintains a constructive dialogue with the government and sees continued opportunities to strengthen consultation with business and make the regulatory environment more predictable.
The Executive Director of AmCham Kazakhstan also emphasized the strategic importance of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor) for American companies operating in or trading with Central Asia, as it gives the region a direct connection to global markets across the Caspian, the South Caucasus and onward to Europe.
"Last year, AmCham Kazakhstan organized a three-country business mission along the route together with the U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce and the America Georgia Business Council, giving U.S. companies and government officials firsthand access to ports, logistics infrastructure and the businesses operating the corridor," Erlich said.
According to him, the mission showed that the opportunities are very practical.
He noted that since then, a major U.S. construction company has been shortlisted for projects in Kazakhstan, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation launched its first port infrastructure project in Kazakhstan, and U.S. companies are exploring opportunities in refining and regional aviation.
"We see further potential in ports, logistics, rail, aviation, energy infrastructure and digital systems that can make the route faster, more reliable and better integrated," Erlich said.
At the same time, he noted that further development of the Middle Corridor requires infrastructure improvements.
"Port capacity remains limited, ferry availability is a bottleneck, and Kazakhstan currently depends heavily on Azerbaijani vessels for Caspian crossings. Falling Caspian Sea levels also present a serious long-term infrastructure challenge. The potential is clearly there, but for the route to flourish, it will require significant investment, stronger cross-border coordination and continued development of infrastructure on both sides of the Caspian Sea," Erlich said.
Erlich noted that, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, gross U.S. direct investment inflows since independence have exceeded $60 billion, making the United States one of Kazakhstan’s largest long-term investors.
According to him, last year brought significant new momentum to cooperation. During President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to Washington, Kazakhstan and the United States signed 29 agreements worth nearly $17 billion, including major projects in agriculture, critical minerals, transportation, aviation and technology.
"But signing a deal is only the first step. The more challenging part is implementation, when companies begin investing capital, building operations and navigating the regulatory environment. This is where AmCham has an important role: we work with our members to identify investment and business barriers and engage with the government on practical solutions so that announced projects can become successful long-term investments," Erlich said.
Erlich added that there is a very active level of engagement between American and Kazakh businesses at present.
He noted that in May, AmCham led a business delegation to Washington, D.C., where its members met with Congress, U.S. government agencies, development finance institutions, and business partners. U.S. Senator Steve Daines has also recently visited Kazakhstan.
According to Erlich, in late June and early July, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington visited Kazakhstan with both current and prospective investors, participated in the President’s Foreign Investors’ Council, and signed a memorandum with Atameken, Kazakhstan’s National Chamber of Entrepreneurs.
"We are also seeing increasingly frequent visits from the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Commercial Law Development Program. The interest is certainly there, and AmCham’s role is to help turn that interest into concrete business relationships and successful long-term investments," Erlich said.
