Jetisu Strengthens Its Role as Kazakhstan's Main Land Gateway to China
By the end of 2025, the volume of rail freight transportation towards China reached 35.4 million tons, an increase of 10.5% over the year. The Dostyk and Altynköl crossings, located in the Jetisu region, operated at full capacity. They handle export and transit goods between Kazakhstan, China, countries in Central Asia, and Europe.
The current harvest season started earlier than usual, which led to increased shipping pressure by the end of summer. According to operational data from Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the railway network went through this period without technological restrictions. In August, 1.157 million tons of grain were transported, 35% more than in the same month last year. More than 16,300 wagons were used for transportation.
In August, 895,000 tons of grain were exported, which is 46% more than a year earlier. An additional 262,000 tons were for the domestic market, and the transportation of grain processing products increased by 18%. Grain shipments to China doubled for the month, increased over threefold to Afghanistan, and shipments to Central Asian countries grew by 45%.
About 15,200 grain carriers and 17,100 covered wagons were prepared for the season. The national operational grain headquarters, involving Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, grain associations, operators, and regional transport subdivisions, coordinates routes, supplies empty wagons, and monitors unloading 24/7.
In 2025, grain cargo transportation through the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy network reached 14.3 million tons, increasing by 31% for the year; exports amounted to 11 million tons. More than 4.2 million tons were sent to China, marking a 30% increase from the 2024 figure. Raw grain accounted for 0.8 million tons, while transportation of animal feed and pelleted processing products in containers grew from 0.7 million to 3.1 million tons. Container trains are formed at elevators in grain-producing regions and travel through Jetisu to terminals in the interior of China.
The Dostyk crossing, operational since 1990 and connected with the Chinese station Alashankou, handles heavy-duty trains, mineral raw materials, ore, grain, and vegetable oil. At Altynköl, associated with the Khorgos — Vostochnye vorota special economic zone, container trains with flour, animal feed, and meal are processed. In 2025, these hubs also shipped over 15,000 tons of Kazakh wheat to the Vietnamese port of Hai Phong.
By the end of 2025, Kazakhstan supplied 36% of China's sunflower oil imports, ranking second among suppliers of this product. The export of oil and fat products to China increased by 44%, reaching 440,000 tons, while revenue increased by 37%, to 312 million dollars. Following changes in the railway agreement procedure, producers with confirmed export contracts were admitted to the procedure. The execution of the average monthly oil shipment plan to China now exceeds 90%; a similar pilot procedure applies to the export of pelleted sunflower meal in grain carriers.
