Kazakhstan to host one of Central Asia’s largest e-commerce distribution centers

On July 1, Kazakhstan’s Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliev met with Yu Weijia, CEO and founder of China’s YTO Express Co., to discuss the construction of one of the largest e-commerce distribution centers in Central Asia.

According to the Ministry of Trade and Integration, the introduction of intelligent IT solutions that will fully automate logistics processes and provide customs support for deliveries will enable the quick handling of goods destined for the countries of the European Union, the Eurasian Economic Union and Central Asia.

During the meeting, Minister Shakkaliev noted the rapid development of the e-commerce market in Kazakhstan, as evidenced by the annual growth rate exceeding 20%, and stated:

“The e-commerce market in China is astonishing in terms of volume, with more than 70 percent of sales taking place online. Kazakhstan, thanks to its favorable geographical location, is set to become a key transit zone for international e-commerce. The joint project with Kazpost to establish a distribution center in Kazakhstan will give new impetus to the development of cross-border trade.”

Highlighting the unique status of the project in Central Asia, Yu Weijia noted, “This is a long-term project that will strengthen the mutually beneficial and productive cooperation between the two countries. Under this cooperation, we have opened three bonded warehouses in China: Shanghai, Nanjing and Wuhan. This project is the only one in Central Asia that will cover the entire region.”