Kazakhstan has significantly increased its imports of mandarins and lemons from China. In the first three quarters of this year, citrus imports rose by 1.7 times compared to the same time last year, reaching 97,200 tons with a cost of $58.5 million.
Mandarin imports totaled 51,400 tons, up by 37.5%. China dominated the market, supplying 27,500 tons, an increase of 2.5 times. Other key suppliers included Pakistan (16,400 tons, down 11.3%) and Turkey (4,900 tons, down 17.9%). Smaller amounts came from Russia, Morocco, Spain, and Georgia.
Imports of pomelos and grapefruits also grew by 1.5 times to 7,400 tons. Nearly all of these came from China, which supplied 7,200 tons. Additional shipments arrived from Turkey, South Africa, Israel, and Thailand.
Orange imports doubled to 16,600 tons. Imports from China surged dramatically, jumping 55-fold to 6,800 tons compared to just 123.6 tons in the same period last year. Traditional suppliers included Egypt (3,000 tons, down 5.4%) and Iran (4,100 tons, up 1.8 times).
Lemons and limes saw the most significant rise in demand, with imports increasing fivefold to 21,600 tons. China was again the primary supplier, delivering 19,200 tons—a 23-fold increase. Additional shipments came from Uzbekistan (448.7 tons, up 12.4%), Iran (80.2 tons, up 22.2%), and Brazil (8.4 tons, up 1.5 times).
In contrast, lemon and lime imports from Turkey, Tajikistan, and Argentina declined.
Source: lsm.kz