After a prolonged lobbying campaign by Kazakhstan, China has agreed to lift import bans on Kazakh meat. But it may take a while for Kazakh officials to enjoy the fruits of their diplomatic labors, as logistics bottlenecks continue to hinder cross-border freight rail traffic.

The Chinese decision covers the importation of Kazakh poultry, pork and beef, according to a Kazakh Agriculture Ministry statement. The ban on Kazakh poultry products had been in effect since 2005. Restrictions on pork and beef took hold in 2022, following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease among livestock.

Although Kazakh imports can resume, Chinese officials established strict importation parameters. At present, only two plants will be able to ship up to 8,000 tons of frozen meat to China, according to a report distributed by the APK News outlet. The report did not specify a timeframe for the duration of the meat import quota. Maksut Baktibaev, who heads the Meat Union of Kazakhstan, an industry trade group, said China lifted the ban only for producers in “seven south-eastern regions of Kazakhstan, which have been deemed free of foot-and-mouth disease.”

Kazakhstan faces stiff competition in China for its meat products from other suppliers. “We will have to compete with India and Brazil, whose products are much cheaper, have low production costs and have been firmly on their feet for a long time,” Baktibaev was quoted as saying.

The resumption of Kazakh meat exports comes as Astana reported a surge in grain supplies to China during 2023. But according to a AKP News report, bilateral agro-trade experienced sharp spikes and precipitous falls in freight rail volume month-to-month, in part because of logistics hurdles at the Kazakh-Chinese border.

Currently, Kazakh grain exports to China are becalmed, reportedly due to a backlog of freight cars waiting to be unloaded in China. The ElDala news outlet reported that Kazakh officials have extended a freeze on sending the vast majority of freight cars across the border from Kazakhstan to China. The slowdown went into effect at the start of the year and is now expected to continue at least until the end of February.