Kazakhstan has approved rules for the labeling and traceability of light industry goods: the main requirements will take effect on November 14, 2026, while certain provisions on aggregating codes and transmitting turnover data will apply from October 1, 2027, according to infohub.kz.
The labeling will cover goods in the "Light Industry" group: clothing, bed and table linen, shawls and scarves, ties, as well as items made of genuine leather and artificial fur. The specific list is determined by the codes of the Commodity Nomenclature of Foreign Economic Activity of the Eurasian Economic Union (TN VED EAEU). The requirements will apply regardless of style, size, purpose, method of production, or material.
The obligation to label products applies to manufacturers, importers, wholesale and retail sellers, as well as commission agents — individual entrepreneurs and legal entities that are residents of Kazakhstan. A manufacturer must apply the code before the first transfer of the goods to another owner. An importer labels the goods before their import into Kazakhstan or before placing them under customs procedures for release for domestic consumption or re-import. A commission agent must label goods accepted for sale before displaying them at the point of sale.
A two-dimensional DataMatrix GS1 code is used for labeling. It can be applied directly to the product, to consumer or group packaging, or to a product label, and the code must be applied in such a way that it cannot be removed without damage. Before starting work, a market participant must register in the digital labeling and traceability system, register the product in it, and obtain labeling codes from the operator. After applying the code, the participant must transmit labeling data to the system within 60 calendar days; otherwise, unused codes will be annulled. Obtaining labeling codes will be paid — the service is paid to the operator under a contract.
When selling labeled goods, a retail seller must remove them from circulation. This will require a cash register with the function of recording and transmitting data, a device connected to it for scanning codes, and a contract with a fiscal data operator. The code of the sold product will be included in the cash receipt, and information about the sale of each unit will be transmitted to the labeling system. If a customer returns the goods, the seller must put them back into circulation so that the goods can be sold again.
Light industry goods that are already held by manufacturers, sellers, and other market participants at the time labeling is introduced must be labeled no later than January 1, 2028. The main provisions of the rules will take effect 60 calendar days after their first official publication — from November 14, 2026 — while the rules on aggregating codes and transmitting turnover data will apply from October 1, 2027.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote about why digital labeling is being introduced in Kazakhstan.