Trade Minister Arman Shakkaliev has commented on the preparation of new measures against so-called "grey" car imports in Kazakhstan. According to him, the changes are related to road safety concerns, not to supporting the domestic automotive industry.
WHAT THE MINISTER SAID
Arman Shakkaliev said that the package of tightening measures, which he said is expected by 1 September, is aimed at cracking down on the activities of illegal car dealers.
The minister stated that such dealers, in his words, may sell vehicles with tampered VIN codes or cars rebuilt after serious road traffic accidents (RTAs). He also spoke emotively about the need to identify such offenders and put a stop to their activities, stating that they should be brought to criminal responsibility.
WHY THE NEW MEASURES ARE BEING PREPARED
According to the minister, the preparation of the new measures is not connected to supporting the domestic automotive industry. He stressed that their aim is to improve road safety and reduce the number of vehicles that could pose a danger to road users.
Shakkaliev also noted that the development of automotive manufacturing in the country continues. According to him, Kazakhstan has multi-brand plants operating, the cost of vehicles produced remains competitive, and the ministry is holding negotiations on exporting Kazakh vehicles.
CONTEXT
Earlier, Vice-Minister of Industry and Construction Olzhas Saparbekov explained why the state had tightened control over grey car imports. According to him, after the digitalisation of customs systems, cases were identified where individuals imported dozens and even hundreds of vehicles under the guise of cars for personal use.
The editorial team of the FBRK has also over several years drawn attention to the existence of schemes related to the grey import of vehicles and their subsequent legalisation.
After the European Union introduced restrictions against Russian road hauliers in 2022, some transport companies began moving their operations to Kazakhstan. An FBRK investigation examined in detail the practice of setting up joint ventures, the registration of freight transport, issues around the use of state registration plates, the shortage of foreign permit forms (FPFs), as well as repeated changes to the rules on international transport.
In 2023, a campaign to legalise vehicles imported before 1 September 2022 was completed in Kazakhstan. The editorial team analysed in detail the registration procedure, the specifics of temporarily registering vehicles not deregistered in EAEU countries, and the associated risks of illegal registration and fraudulent schemes. That same year, at a meeting in Kostanay, FBRK founder Kirill Pavlov stated, that the city alone had around 700 vehicles with tampered VIN numbers, with a further 400–500 in Petropavlovsk. At the time, he suggested handing such vehicles to rural teachers, doctors and community police officers once their legal status had been resolved.
In July 2024, Kirill Pavlov published an investigative report on the grey car market in Kazakhstan, in which he examined in detail the schemes for illegally registering vehicles brought in across the Kazakh border.
According to estimates from the Supreme Audit Chamber (SAC), potential budget losses from shadow car imports could exceed 71 billion tenge.
