Starting from September 1, 2026, Kazakhstan will strengthen supervision over illegal and irregular car imports, but the recent market circulation of "a unified price increase of 15% for all cars" is not accurate...

According to Kazakhstan media DKNews.kz, starting from September 1, 2026, Kazakhstan will strengthen supervision of illegal and irregular car imports, but the recent market circulation of"a unified price increase of 15% for all cars" is not accurate. The government has not announced an increase in scrapping recycling fees and first registration fees, nor has it introduced the so-called "new tariffs on automobiles in September."

What may really be affected are new and near-new cars purchased throughindividualsandindependent importersfrom markets such as China, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, and the United States. For China's used car export practitioners, this is also the most noteworthy part of this policy change.

Kazakhstan's Minister of Industry and Construction Yersain Nagaspeyev has previously made it clear that relevant legal and regulatory requirements actually exist, and the focus after September 1 will be on strengthening enforcement rather than adding new taxes. The core issue is how to distinguish between"imports for personal use"and"commercial imports": natural persons can import cars for themselves, but if they are actually purchased in bulk and then resold, they should be handled in accordance with commercial trade rules, and cannot continue to split imports in the name of individuals.

| 那么市场传出的“涨价15%”究竟从哪里来？

According to calculations by local private importers, if some individuals can only use the Passenger Customs Declaration Form (PENTDROH) to go through the formalities in the future, the comprehensive tax rate for some new and near-new vehicles that are less than 3 years old may reach 48% of the customs value of the vehicle. -54%. Commercial imports usually involve a 15% tariff and a 16% value-added tax, and a significant cost difference will be created between the two reporting methods.

The report calculates a car with a customs value of 10 million tenge: according to the 15% import tariff, 1.5 million tenge is first paid; the 16% value-added tax is calculated based on "vehicle value + tariff", which is approximately 1.84 million tenge. The total of the two items is approximately 3.34 million tenge, and other expenses are not included. If a 48% PENTDROP comprehensive tax rate is used, the tax will reach 4.8 million tenge, a difference of 1.46 million tenge, which is equivalent to an increase in vehicle costs of about 11%; if a 54% tax rate is applied, the difference may be close to 15%.

It should be noted that this is only a cost calculation made by the importer based on different declaration methods, and it is not the government's announcement of a unified 15% surcharge for all vehicles. Specific taxes and fees still depend on vehicle price, vehicle age, engine parameters, origin and customs clearance model.

The most affected vehicles are likely to be vehicles currently imported "to order" through independent suppliers. Such products often rely on a more flexible import chain, creating a price difference with official distribution channels. If customs strictly check the actual use of individual imports after September, some of the cost advantages may be weakened. At the same time, some smaller importers with insufficient compliance capabilities may reduce business or even withdraw from the market. After the supply of popular models is reduced, prices may be further pushed up.

In particular, we should remind China export companies that have already received deposits or whose vehicles are in transit. If a car enters Kazakhstan after September 1 and the "final price for customs clearance" is not locked in the sales contract, who will bear the additional fees can easily become a dispute. In the near future, it is best to confirm in advance the import entity, declaration method, arrival time, and the cost-sharing mechanism due to changes in customs clearance rules for business with Kazakhstan.

Official dealers and locally assembled models in Kazakhstan have no direct reason to increase prices. The Kazakhstan government expects to produce about 190,000 vehicles nationwide in 2026, including about 177,000 passenger cars; local competition for new cars is also fierce. In July this year, official dealers sold 21,371 new and commercial vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 5.9%, reaching a total of 127,260 vehicles from January to July. Therefore, even if parallel imports shrink, it will be difficult for formal channels to raise prices significantly without hesitation.

However, indirect effects may still occur. If there are fewer low-priced parallel imported cars, official dealers may not have to directly increase the guidance price, but will reduce promotional policies such as cash discounts, gift configurations, and low-interest finance, which is also equivalent to an increase in the actual cost of buying cars for consumers.

The used car market will not change immediately on September 1. Vehicles that have been cleared and registered in Kazakhstan do not need to be re-paid due to the new regulatory measures. However, the price of used cars usually refers to the import cost of the same alternative vehicle source. If the cost of freshly imported models increases by 1 million to 2 million tenge, the same model of near-new used cars that have already been licensed locally may gradually increase. Younger models from China, South Korea and Japan are expected to be more sensitive.

Electric vehicles require separate accounting. Kazakhstan's previous preferential import quota for electric vehicles has been used up on October 14, 2025. Currently, relevant vehicles enter the market according to the current general rules. Different declaration models correspond to different taxes and fees. Therefore, it is also not possible to simply apply the statement of "unified increase of 15%."

| 写在最后

The real change that occurred in Kazakhstan on September 1 was not a "sudden tax increase," but that the gray space between personal imports and commercial imports may be further narrowed. What is more important than worrying about "whether it will increase by 11% or 15%" is to first find out what identity the customer uses and what declaration method to land the car. Especially for quasi-new vehicles and parallel imported models sent by China to Kazakhstan, it is best for the contract to clarify the final tax price, the person responsible for the import and the cost bearing after the policy change. Once supervision becomes stricter, a supply chain with legal customs declaration and transparent prices may not be the lowest cost, but it will become increasingly competitive.

Source: Guangdong Good Car

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