Estonia to Store Kazakh Grain Free for 90 Days Under New Export Deal

Kazakhstan has secured a major logistics breakthrough: Estonia has agreed to accept and store Kazakh grain free of charge for up to 90 days and is ready to receive the first 180,000 tons of wheat, Orda.kz reports.

Under the new agreement, Estonia will become a transit hub for Kazakh grain exports to Europe. The arrangement was finalized during President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev’s meeting with Estonian President Alar Karis in Astana.

The two leaders revived discussions that began two years ago on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Karis arrived in Kazakhstan accompanied by a 40-member business delegation, signaling Tallinn’s intent to expand its economic presence in Central Asia.

Our entrepreneurs are already actively discussing joint projects. Several meetings are planned, and we expect to sign a number of memorandums and launch new initiatives. I am very optimistic about the future,
 the Estonian president said.

For Kazakhstan, the Baltic route offers a shorter, more stable corridor to European ports — an important asset for a country looking to strengthen its role in global food supply chains. In turn, Kazakhstan remains a key transit link between the Baltics, China, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia.

Concrete steps are already underway. Agriculture Minister Aidarbek Saparov announced that Kazakhstan intends to ship around 700,000 tons of grain through Baltic ports, including 180,000 tons via Estonia.

Previously, we shipped grain primarily through Novorossiysk. Now we have an alternative — the Baltic ports. Today we held talks with their representatives and agreed on preferential terms and favorable tariffs,
 Saparov said.

Although total trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Estonia is declining, the composition of trade is shifting: Kazakhstan is exporting more processed goods — including vegetable oils, rapeseed, flaxseed, and wood products — making economic ties more sustainable and higher in added value.

Over the past two decades, Estonia has invested $128 million in Kazakhstan’s economy.

Toqayev and Karis also addressed the Kazakh-Estonian business forum, during which the two sides signed 11 commercial agreements worth more than $517 million.

Original Author: Alina Pak