• Analysis and Studies
• Kyrgyzstan: a look at the market

Located between China and the countries that once formed Soviet Union (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan e Tajikistan), Kyrgyzstan is an Asian country full of breathtaking natural landscapes and important nomadic traditions.

The country rises along the Silk Road, the ancient road which connected China and the Far East with the Middle East and Europe. From 1926 to 1991, Kyrgyzstan has been one of the Soviet republics. When it finally became independent, the country suffered from the dissolution with the URSS, which led to underdevelopment, a decline in production, increased crime and the spread of corruption. Kyrgyzstan has been marked by different conflicts between the minorities that coexist in the territory, but it has also been the scene of political nature fights.

Despite its instability, Kyrgyzstan has a rich variety of its land resources, from agriculture to minerals extraction. In fact, the country is an important exporter of cotton and gold, but it also produces wool and meat and exports minerals like mercury, uranium and natural gas.

The economy of Kyrgyzstan: trade, import and export 

Speaking of numbers, the most exported products of Kyrgyzstan are gold ($1.86B), precious metal ore ($122M), dried legumes ($66.8M), refined petroleum ($47.7M), and raw cotton ($27.1M), mostly headed to United Kingdom ($1.8B), Russia ($254M), Kazakhstan ($254M), Uzbekistan ($155M), and Turkey ($71M).
While exporting, the country relies on China ($2.6B), Russia ($1.5B), Uzbekistan ($757M), Kazakhstan ($581M), and Turkey ($420M) to import refined petroleum ($501M), non-knit women's coats ($250M), broadcasting equipment ($235M), light rubberized knitted fabric ($179M), and packaged medicaments ($176M).

In 2015, the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) welcomed Kyrgyzstan as a member. To make its way in the EAEU, the country has been working to harmonize its laws and regulations to meet the Union standards.
In 2020, Kyrgyzstan was the number 147 economy in the world thanks to its GDP of $7,7 billion. More than one-quarter of this GDP comes from remittances from Kyrgyz migrant workers that usually establish in Russia or Kazakhstan.

The development of the country is now moving towards digital technologies. In fact, the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic launched an E-commerce Development Programme for 2023-2026, not only to increase the country’s exports, but also to reduce the costs of sellers, make trade safer, attract investments, make financial services more accessible and encourage digital entrepreneurship.

Read more about this project on the International Trade Center website.

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