Kazakhstan's Ministry of Energy has drafted amendments that would allow road bitumen to be exported beyond the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) during the off-season. The proposal would remove petroleum bitumen from the current ban on exports of certain petroleum products, infohub.kz reports.
The draft order by the energy minister amends order No. 175-н/қ of April 30, 2026, "On certain issues of exporting petroleum products from the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan."
The document was developed in line with national security and trade regulation legislation, the provisions of the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union, and a protocol following Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov's working trip to the Mangystau Region on July 23, 2026.
The key change concerns petroleum bitumen with the EAEU HS code 2713 20 000 0. It is proposed to be removed from the list of products subject to the ban on export beyond the EAEU customs territory.
The Ministry of Energy attributes the need for the decision primarily to the seasonal nature of road bitumen consumption. Demand for the product peaks during the active road construction season, while consumption declines in the off-season.
"At the same time, domestic enterprises have spare production capacity, and refineries need to ensure stable utilization. Allowing exports will make it possible to send to foreign markets those volumes of road bitumen that remain unclaimed on the domestic market during periods of lower seasonal demand," the explanatory note to the draft order says.
The proposed measure is therefore expected to give producers an additional sales channel while ensuring more even utilization of refining facilities. Exports are intended to take place specifically during the off-season, when domestic consumption of road bitumen declines.