Kazakhstan Significantly Increases Flaxseed Exports at the Start of the New Season

Kazakhstan is actively expanding its oilseed flax supplies to external markets, demonstrating impressive growth rates at the beginning of the new season. According to the State Revenue Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan, flaxseed exports in September 2026/27 MY (excluding EAEU countries) reached 100.9 thousand tonnes. This figure represents a 33% increase compared to the previous month, August. Compared to the same period of the previous season, exports of Kazakh flax grew even more significantly — by 1.62 times, reported Yevgeny Karabanov, head of the analytics committee at the Grain Union of Kazakhstan.

Despite the growth in total export volumes, the destination geography shifted due to logistical constraints. Several European Union countries reduced their purchases of Kazakh flax compared to September 2025. Specifically, imports by Belgium dropped by 5.5 times (to 2.3 thousand tonnes), Poland by 1.8 times (to 2.7 thousand tonnes), Germany by 3 times (to 0.4 thousand tonnes), and Estonia by 20 times (to 0.1 thousand tonnes), while Italy reduced its purchases from 0.5 thousand tonnes to zero. In addition, shipments to Tajikistan decreased by 2.57 times (to 0.7 thousand tonnes) and Pakistan by 2 times (to 1.1 thousand tonnes).

At the same time, some European nations increased their imports of Kazakh raw materials. Supplies to the Czech Republic rose by 2.7 times (to 0.8 thousand tonnes), and to the Netherlands by 2 times (to 0.2 thousand tonnes). Significant growth was also recorded in other directions: shipments to Afghanistan increased by 2.03 times (to 13.6 thousand tonnes), China by 2.7 times (to 71.8 thousand tonnes), Uzbekistan by 2.23 times (to 6.7 thousand tonnes), and Turkey by 2 times (to 0.4 thousand tonnes).

The undisputed leader among importers was China, accounting for 71% of total Kazakh flax exports in September. According to Chinese customs statistics, total flax imports to China in September amounted to 129.1 thousand tonnes — up 34% from August and 8.3 times higher than in September 2025. During the first two months of the new season (August-September), total flax imports to China reached 225.5 thousand tonnes, a 6.67-fold increase year-on-year. The share of Russian flax in Chinese imports reached 62%, while Kazakh flax accounted for 37.1%.

The Grain Union of Kazakhstan analyst emphasized that the delivery of domestic flax to the EU in September faced severe logistical barriers. Due to the redirection of Russian grain exports through Baltic ports and the northwestern routes of Russian Railways (RZD), transit approvals for Kazakh cargo were denied. All October applications from exporters were rejected, and no improvements are expected in November. Alternative logistics through Belarus and Lithuania are more expensive and subject to restrictions, which is already driving up flax prices in Ghent, Europe.