During three recent seasons, the export volumes of flour from Kazakhstan stabilized at nearly 1.8 million tons. Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan became the main countries-importers of Kazakh flour, the Director of the Grain Processors and Bakers Union of Kazakhstan Evgeny Gan declared.
Some time ago, Uzbekistan has imposed the protective customs duty at nearly 11% on flour imports to develop its domestic processing of grains, which led to reduction of Kazakh flour supplies to the country. Tajikistan changed the VAT rates on import operations: VAT on imported wheat totaled 10%, flour – 18%. Kyrgyzstan canceled the VAT on imported grains, which also reduced the supplies of flour from Kazakhstan. Therefore, Kazakhstan increased flour supplies to Afghanistan to compensate the losses: in Q1 2016 Kazakhstan shipped its largest volumes of flour to the country, and Uzbekistan took the second position, said the expert.
Also, he specified that Kazakh flour shipments to Afghanistan would continue increasing, because Afghanistan refused to import the product from Pakistan. (APK-Inform/Business World Magazine)
