Kazakhstan drafts order to lift bitumen export ban outside EAEU

Photo: KazMunayGas

BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 20. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy has drafted an order to lift the ban on exports of petroleum bitumen outside the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

According to the draft published on the Open NPA portal, the document amends an order issued by the Minister of Energy on April 30, 2026, titled "On Certain Issues of the Export of Petroleum Products from the Territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan."

"Taking into account the seasonal nature of road bitumen consumption, the availability of idle production capacity at domestic enterprises, and the need to ensure stable refinery loads, the adoption of the order will allow for the export of surplus road bitumen outside the EAEU customs territory during the off-season," the ministry said.

The ministry said the draft order was developed in accordance with national security and trade laws, the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union, and the protocol of Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov’s working trip to the Mangystau region.

According to KazMunayGas (KMG), CASPI BITUM, Kazakhstan’s largest road bitumen producer, produced 221,000 tonnes of road bitumen in January-August 2026, nearly 50% more than in the same period last year.

The company increased shipments to 220,000 tonnes from 147,000 tonnes in January-August 2025, also representing growth of approximately 50%.