Foreign Direct Investment

The US is one of the leading foreign direct investors in Kazakhstan. The foreign direct investment (FDI) from the United States to Kazakhstan in the first half of 2018 reached $2.79 billion, a 44.7 percent increase compared to the same period in 2017 ($1.93 billion). Overall, from 2005 to July 2018, the gross volume of American FDI to the Kazakh economy amounted to $33.76 billion.

Kazakhstan annually hosts various investment and trade-economic events, where the Kazakh government officials and business leaders present current and future investment opportunities open to US investment and establish frameworks for future cooperation with US businesses.

A delegation of 16 major U.S. businesses visited Kazakhstan in October 2018 during the inaugural US Department of Commerce Certified Trade Mission to Kazakhstan led by Secretary Wilbur Ross. The trade mission resulted in agreements in aviation and space research, agriculture, the petrochemical industry and infrastructure development.

Kazakhstan has worked with the US to develop into a prosperous market that embraces free-market competition. Under the framework of the annual bilateral consultations (ABC), founded in 2010, that was elevated to Enhanced Strategic Partnership Dialogue in 2018, Kazakhstan and the US focus on creation of favorable conditions for the development of investment and trade as well as economic development more broadly.

The US supported Kazakhstan in its effort to obtain the WTO membership and continues to deepen trade and investment ties, particularly in the sectors prioritized by Kazakhstan Strategy 2050. Kazakhstan works closely with the United States to support its leadership role in economic development efforts in the Central Asia region.

Together with Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan the countries established the United States-Central Asia Trade and Investment Framework (TIFA) in 2004. In 2014, at the 9th Council Meeting, the countries focused on advancing accession of the countries into WTO, customs, investment, standards, and sanitary measures coordination, as well as procurement.