How Does the Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan Support Business in the Regions?
On August 13, 2025, the Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan (hereinafter – ECA, the Agency) organized a press tour to enterprises in the East Kazakhstan region to present their efforts in entering export markets and to highlight the available tools and support measures aimed at developing the country’s manufacturing industry.
The Agency is part of the Baiterek Holding group of companies and is one of Kazakhstan’s key development institutions, supporting the growth of non-commodity exports in priority sectors through insurance and guarantee instruments, pre-export and export trade financing. ECA provides exporters, second-tier banks, and the Development Bank of Kazakhstan with insurance protection against the risk of non-payment in foreign trade transactions, and assists exporters in finding new sales markets by facilitating contacts with foreign buyers.
In 2025, more than 80 exporters received support, including small and medium-sized businesses, which accounted for 70% of all supported projects. The main export categories include food products, metal products, petroleum products, chemical industry goods, agricultural products, and construction materials. Key export destinations are Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China, the Russian Federation, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, and the UAE.
Overall, in the first half of 2025, the volume of ECA support exceeded 333 billion tenge, with expectations to reach 600 billion tenge by year-end. The East Kazakhstan region ranked among the top three exporting regions, receiving a total of 30 billion tenge in ECA support. In 2024, thanks to the Agency’s support, more than 10 export-oriented companies implemented projects worth over 62 billion tenge.
According to the Export Credit Agency, the East Kazakhstan region has great potential for export development. In this regard, ECA intends to continue supporting entrepreneurship in the region by providing companies with access to new markets and opportunities.
During the press tour, participants were shown successful cases of increasing export volumes and finding new foreign buyers, modernizing production and implementing advanced technologies, as well as creating new jobs and expanding product ranges at companies such as Altyn Shyghys LLP, Vostokmashzavod JSC, and ALTAI MAI LLP.
ECA has set ambitious goals. To achieve them, new products are being developed and existing tools improved, tailored to international standards and the needs of specific markets. Special attention is paid to digitalization and artificial intelligence, which will help simplify customer interaction. Thanks to the development of digital services, it has become easier to access the Agency’s services. Exporters can submit applications through their personal account on the official ECA website or on the bgov.kz portal, where they can track application status in real time.
Any Kazakhstani enterprise engaged in non-commodity production of goods, works, or services can use ECA services.
ECA Case Studies
Altyn Shyghys LLP specializes in processing oilseeds and producing vegetable oil. The company is part of the Sei-Nar production complex.
Since 2020, the Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan has supported the enterprise through a voluntary loan insurance tool – enabling financing for working capital replenishment at the Development Bank of Kazakhstan – as well as short-term accounts receivable insurance to reduce the risk of importer non-payment.
In May of this year, Altyn Shyghys became the first participant in a new joint program by the Development Bank of Kazakhstan and the Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan aimed at developing exports of Kazakhstani fat-and-oil products. The program includes pre-export financing and insurance support tools, allowing Kazakhstani companies to significantly increase production volumes and expand their presence in foreign markets.
ECA provides insurance support for foreign economic transactions, enabling exporters to minimize risks when entering international markets. In addition, the Agency supports fat-and-oil exporters through second-tier banks.
Vostokmashzavod JSC is a key manufacturer of engineering equipment and components for the mining and metallurgical industries of Kazakhstan and the CIS. It has been cooperating with the Export Credit Agency since 2024, receiving insurance protection for a major export contract with a foreign buyer for the production of square-section steel billets and rebar. Another insurance mechanism – payment deferral coverage – ensured the reliability of settlements and reduced foreign trade risks, while the company also used ECA’s trade financing tool.
Within the production and logistics chain, the rebar produced is exported in finished form to countries such as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the Russian Federation, and Turkmenistan. In this way, Vostokmashzavod exports high value-added products, contributing to the growth of national exports of processed industrial goods, fully in line with the priorities of state industrial policy.
ALTAI MAI LLP is a modern full-cycle oil extraction plant for processing oilseeds, specializing in the production of unrefined sunflower oil, oilcake, and meal.
Since 2020, construction of a plant with a capacity of 500 tons of seeds per day has been underway at the site of the Ust-Kamenogorsk distillery. The site has been completely reconstructed into a modern, high-tech, zero-waste oil extraction facility.
ALTAI MAI LLP occupies 9.5 hectares and will be able to produce up to 75,000 tons of vegetable oil and up to 64,000 tons of meal annually. Production launch is scheduled for early September.
The Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan has been cooperating with the enterprise since 2023, providing loan insurance support for working capital replenishment, which has ensured stable supplies and expanded export channels.
After the plant is launched, exports are planned to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China, and other countries.
Reference
The Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan JSC (ECA, the Agency) is the national institution for the development and promotion of non-commodity exports. In its core activities, the Agency provides manufacturing sector exporters and second-tier banks with insurance protection against non-payment risks in foreign trade operations, ensuring security at all stages of the export cycle.
In 2024, the company reached a key stage in institutional development, transforming from an insurance organization into a full-fledged Export Credit Agency in accordance with international standards. Today, the Agency is the first classical ECA in Central Asia and is part of the Baiterek National Managing Holding group of companies. Over the past 10 years, the Agency has supported more than 300 exporters for a total of 1.8 trillion tenge.
