weighted score 5.1 · nine dimensions
Country Risk Profile
Kazakhstan
Sourcing risk, regulatory exposure and audit intelligence for Kazakhstan-origin supply chains.
Forced & child labour
4
TVPRA listings for cotton and tobacco. Agricultural sector carries forced labour risk. Not at the scale of Xinjiang or historical Uzbek cotton but documented and material.
Worker rights & FOA
5
ITUC rating 5 — no guarantee of rights. Zhanaozen 2011 legacy. Independent union registration barriers. ILO conventions ratified but enforcement gap is significant.
OHS & audit transparency
5
Occupational safety standards exist but enforcement is uneven, particularly in mining and construction. Audit infrastructure is developing but not at EU-benchmarked levels.
Food & product safety
5
EAEU technical regulations apply. Food safety systems are improving but certification credibility for EU-bound products requires third-party verification.
Environmental & regulatory
5
Heavy reliance on fossil fuels. Environmental regulation exists but enforcement is inconsistent. Mining and oil extraction carry significant environmental compliance risks.
Governance & anti-corruption
7
TI CPI ~39/100. Post-Nazarbayev Tokayev reforms ongoing but institutional independence limited. Oligarchic business structures persist. Regulatory capture risk in extractive sectors.
Tariff & preferential access
4
EAEU common external tariff applies. EPCA with EU provides standard GSP. No comprehensive FTA with EU. CBAM exposure on metals and fertilisers.
Non-tariff barriers
5
EAEU technical regulations create non-tariff alignment requirements. Customs procedures improving but cross-border trade facilitation lags EU standards.
Supply chain traceability
6
Multi-tier traceability in agricultural supply chains (cotton, tobacco) is limited. Extractive sector traceability better due to large-scale corporate operations (Kazatomprom, Tengizchevroil).
Labour & Social Risk
Labour & Social Risk
- Forced labour risk
- Kazakhstan is listed on the US TVPRA List of Goods Produced by Child or Forced Labor for cotton and tobacco. Forced labour risks are concentrated in agriculture, particularly cotton harvesting, though government-organised forced labour (as seen historically in Uzbekistan) is not documented at comparable scale.
- Worker rights
- ITUC Global Rights Index rates Kazakhstan at 5 (No guarantee of rights). The Zhanaozen massacre of 2011, in which oil workers striking for better conditions were killed by security forces, remains a defining event. Independent trade unions face registration barriers and leader prosecution.
- ILO conventions
- Kazakhstan has ratified the eight ILO fundamental conventions including C087 (Freedom of Association) and C098 (Right to Organise), but enforcement is weak. The gap between ratification and practice is significant.
EU Regulatory Exposure
EU Regulatory Exposure
- GSP status
- Kazakhstan benefits from the EU's standard GSP preferences under the EPCA (Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement), which entered into force in 2020. No GSP+ or EBA eligibility.
- EAEU alignment
- As a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), Kazakhstan applies common external tariffs set jointly with Russia. EAEU technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures apply to goods circulating within the union.
- CBAM exposure
- Kazakhstan is a significant exporter of steel, aluminium, and fertilisers — all CBAM-covered product categories. CBAM declarations will be required from 2026 for covered goods exported to the EU.
- Governance
- Transparency International CPI score of approximately 39/100. Post-Nazarbayev reforms under President Tokayev have included anti-corruption measures, but institutional independence remains limited.