According to reports from Kazakhstan automobile media Kolesa.kz and Lada.kz, Kazakhstan may further tighten the management requirements for individuals to import cars on their own from September 1, 2026...

According to reports from Kazakhstan automobile media Kolesa.kz and Lada.kz, Kazakhstan may further tighten the management requirements for individuals to import cars on their own from September 1, 2026. Local parallel importers have warned that if the proposed customs clearance method is adjusted, the terminal cost of some imported vehiclesmay increase by about 15%. Consumers who have already booked vehicles but are still in transit face particular uncertainty.

It should be emphasized that the 15% increase currently circulating in the market is a calculation by private importers and is not the new tax rate officially announced by the Kazakhstan government. How to implement it in the end, which import entities are involved and whether to set a transition period still need to be clarified by the competent authorities.

Personal imports may become the focus of supervision. Where does the "15% price increase" come from?

According to reports, the Kazakhstan government has been studying adjusting automobile import management for some time. The Prime Minister previously asked relevant departments to formulate measures to strengthen automobile import supervision starting from September 1. On August 11, a number of local private importers held a press conference and publicly expressed their concerns about the new policy.

The core of the dispute lies in the customs declaration method for vehicles imported by individuals themselves.

According to the importer, some vehicles are currently subject to a unified tariff of 15% and a value-added tax of 15% when they meet relevant conditions. However, if after policy adjustment, natural persons are required to follow the "personal use items" rule and use passenger customs declaration forms to process vehicles imported by natural persons, the comprehensive tax may increase significantly.

Private importers calculate that depending on the age of the vehicle and engine displacement, the relevant comprehensive payment ratio may start from 48% or even higher, which may ultimately increase the transaction price of the vehicle by about 15%.

This is particularly worthy of attention for car dealers supplying supplies from China to Kazakhstan. At present, many China car sources enter the local area through individual orders, purchasing and parallel imports. If the cost advantage of individual imports is weakened, the market may further shift to formal legal person imports and official channels.

The most difficult thing is "vehicles in transit", and importers require a transition period 

What worries local traders more than the future tax rate itself is that no clear transition arrangements have yet been seen.

Many Kazakhstan consumers have already booked and paid for cars and freight in markets such as China and South Korea. The vehicles may be in rail, road or other transportation links. If you book a car before September 1 but arrive and declare customs after September 1, whether you follow the old rules or the new rules will directly affect the final cost.

Local importers have therefore called on the government to set a transition period for vehicles that have signed contracts, completed payments, or are in transit, and handle customs clearance in accordance with the policies in effect at the time of booking. At the same time, they require competent authorities to publish clear implementation rules in advance, rather than allowing the new regulations to directly cover existing orders.

For China exporters, this is very realistic. If the recent business with Kazakhstan adopts the model of "final determination after arrival in Hong Kong" or taxes and fees borne by the buyer, the risk of contract disputes will increase significantly. For vehicles that have been sold but have not yet been shipped, it is necessary to re-confirm the customs clearance time node and tax payment method.

Electric vehicles also face uncertainty, but legal persons import different calibers 

Electric vehicles are also the focus of this discussion. Private importers hope to retain the existing alternative customs clearance methods for electric vehicles and re-evaluate relevant taxes and fees to avoid the rapid shrinking of the import advantages of new energy vehicles after policy adjustments.

The report also reminded that the potential high tax burden is mainly aimed at natural persons 'imports and cannot be directly applied to commercial imports by legal persons. According to those participating in the discussion, another system still applies to imports from formal legal persons. Among them, ordinary vehicles involve a 15% tariff, while the import tariff for pure electric vehicles remains 0%.

Therefore, for China companies, the next step is to distinguish between "individual buyers import by themselves" and "commercial import by local legal persons." If the cost advantage of individual channels narrows, the value of cooperation with regular importers in Kazakhstan may further increase.

Currently, private importers have asked the government to reduce tariffs, retain a flexible customs clearance mechanism for electric vehicles, and set a transition period for vehicles in transit. They also hope that the government will disclose the final rules and negotiate with the industry before September 1.

written in the end 

The biggest keyword in this round of changes in Kazakhstan is not "tax increase" but "uncertainty." The price increase of 15% and the comprehensive payment ratio of more than 48% are calculated by private importers. They should not be regarded as the final policy statement before the government's official rules are issued. However, for China's second-hand car exporters, the risks already need to be dealt with in advance: for vehicles recently sent to Kazakhstan, the focus should be on confirming whether the buyer imports as an individual or a legal person, the expected customs declaration date, and who will bear the additional tax after policy changes. If personal import supervision is indeed significantly tightened, Kazakhstan's automobile trade may further shift from "personal purchasing and parallel channels" to formal commercial imports, which is more worthy of attention for China exporters than simply raising prices.

Source: Guangdong Good Car

[Disclaimer] The content of this website (including pictures and texts) originates from the Internet, and the copyright belongs to the original author. Respect the rights and interests of originality, and select content is only used for information sharing. If copyright disputes are involved, please contact us to handle them in a timely manner