Significant Decline in China's E-cigarette Exports to Kazakhstan

According to the latest trade data released by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China on October 18th, 2FIRSTS has compiled the e-cigarette export figures from China to Kazakhstan for the month of August 2023.

According to the data, China's exports of e-cigarettes to Kazakhstan in August witnessed a significant decline in both export value and quantity. Specifically, the export value amounted to approximately 29.08 million US dollars, showing a decrease of 17.72% compared to the previous month and a notable decline of 75.69% compared to the same period last year. The export volume reached around 60 tons, indicating a decrease of 31.09% compared to the previous month and a substantial drop of 79.37% compared to the same period last year.

According to reports from Kazakhstani media on July 29, the government of Kazakhstan has made a comprehensive decision to ban e-cigarette and e-liquid products.

However, a well-informed source familiar with the e-cigarette market in Kazakhstan disclosed to 2FIRSTS in early August that Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan, has initiated a strict scrutiny of e-cigarette products, leading to the detention of numerous e-cigarette distributors' merchandise.

According to a reliable source on October 19th, several e-cigarette retail stores in Kazakhstan have been forced to shut down.

According to an industry insider who has been involved in e-cigarette logistics in Russia for a long time, due to pressure from the Russian authorities, there has been increased scrutiny at the Kazakhstan border in recent months. As a result, many e-cigarette products that have not gone through proper customs clearance are unable to enter Russia through Kazakhstan.