On Oct. 8, NOELREPORTS reported on X that “over 5,000 trucks are stuck” on the Russian-Kazakhstan border as dual-use goods from China are reportedly being confiscated by Kazakh authorities.
The post is accompanied by a video showing dozens of trucks lined up on a highway, narrated by a man speaking in heavily accented Russian, saying that nothing is getting through.
Kyiv Post cannot independently verify the time and location of the video; the license plates on the trucks are also not visible due to the low quality of the footage, though one of the trucks did have the word “KZ” – short for Kazakhstan – printed on its back.
But assuming the footage did show Kazakh trucks stuck on the Russian border – what exactly happened?
Customs Union between Kazakhstan, Russia
To understand the magnitude of the issue, it is worth understanding the Customs Union between the two countries.
By design, the Customs Union between Kazakhstan and Russia, established in 2010, allows goods to move freely without customs duties under shared external border rules – similar to the EU.
In practice though, some level of customs checks remains in place to allow for national enforcement should the need arise.
Since Russia is under sanctions, and Kazakhstan is not, some sanctioned goods have been able to enter through Russia through Kazakhstan – and Astana might be stepping up its efforts to avoid secondary sanctions from the West.
The Russian side of the story
Russian media reports over the past week echoed NOELREPORTS’s update, saying the delays were caused by Kazakh authorities’ fears of secondary sanctions.
Russian news outlet Kommersant reported on Oct. 2 that “huge queues of goods from China have formed at the Russian-Kazakh border,” adding that 7,500 trucks were stuck, citing its own industry source.
The queues started forming in mid-September, Kommersant wrote, adding that 99% of cargo is being checked, with those carrying heading to a “clear destination that isn’t subject to sanctions” generally crossing within three to five days.
The outlet said “large-scale inspections for illegal import schemes” are to blame, saying that carriers believe Kazakhstan is stepping up checks to comply with Western sanctions.
The holiday week in China also exacerbated the issue, with the Chinese border closed for a week between Oct. 1 and Oct. 8 – Oct. 1 being the National Day of the People’s Republic of China.
But Maxim Emelin, deputy head of SLK Logistics, also told Kommersant that Kazakhstan and Russia are trading blame for the delay.
“Border guards have significantly stepped up their efforts to prevent smuggling. This is due to increased controls on the transport of sanctioned and dual-use goods,” he said.
“Meanwhile, Kazakh authorities blame the congestion on increased scrutiny by Russian customs authorities of gray imports,” Emelin said.
The Kazakh angle
According to some of Kommersant’s sources, even those that cleared customs in Kazakhstan are being reexamined by Russian authorities because of the so-called “gray imports.”
Gray imports are legally made products brought into a country through unofficial channels, often to avoid taxes, duties, or restrictions.
According to Kommersant’s source, Samara customs is re-inspecting goods that have already cleared Kazakh customs, creating delays at the Kazakh-Russian border.
Then comes the immigration issues – Kazakh truckers are also restricted to 90 days per year only inside Russia and Belarus without a visa, which might potentially be connected to the delays.
According to an Oct. 6 article by The Moscow Times, the rule came into effect on Jan. 1, 2025, reducing visa-free stays from the previous 90 days out of 180 to just 90 days per year.
This affects many Kazakh drivers, as time spent in both Russia and Belarus counts toward the quota, a situation made worse by long delays at the border and recent diplomatic tensions affecting entry into the EU.
A Kazakh lawmaker, without referring to recent delays, wrote on Facebook that it is affecting Kazakh truckers – and suggested that it is a move to squeeze Kazakh truckers out of local competition.
“Lately, our drivers and companies carrying out international transport have begun to encounter massively with restrictions on the term of residence on the Russian Federation,” wrote Bolatbek Nazhmetdinuly, a member of the ruling Amanat party.
“This rule does not take into account the specifics of international car transport. Our drivers are on the territory of another country not for personal reasons, but for performing their work duties. However, the new requirements actually put them in the position of violators of Russian law,” he added.
“If the situation persists, we will face a shortage of mobile stock, increased costs and the eviction of Kazakhstan companies by Belarusian and Russian carriers.”
As such, reports of delays at the Russian-Kazakh border are largely accurate, though it remains unclear whether Kazakh authorities are actually “confiscating” goods – being unable to enter Russia does not automatically mean the shipments have been seized.