Kazakhstani feed meal exporters have unexpectedly encountered new requirements from the Chinese regulator.
Feed meal shipments from Kazakhstan to China have currently been significantly hampered by new regulations imposed by the Chinese regulator.
Right now, finished products manufactured in Kazakhstan for specific Chinese customers are unable to continue their journey to that country. They are sitting idle in warehouses and railcars, while market participants are uncertain about when the situation will resolve and whether they will even be able to continue exporting to China.
Experts emphasize that the active development of feed meal production in Kazakhstan began approximately two years ago.
A crucial point is that feed meal shipments to China are duty-free, unlike food products, for which import duties are effectively prohibitive, significantly dampening the enthusiasm of producers and exporters.
In 2024, Kazakhstan harvested a large crop of low-grade wheat, creating a vast raw material base for the production of feed meal in very large quantities.
Furthermore, producers were able to offer very low prices, which further fueled the rapid growth of feed meal supplies to China.
Experts note that, until recently, feed meal was a blend of wheat and barley flour.
Consequently, to supply it to China, Kazakhstani producers and traders obtained two separate certification codes—one for wheat flour and one for barley flour.
However, at the end of March 2026, the Chinese regulator unexpectedly introduced a single, separate code specifically for feed meal, triggering a supply collapse.
According to available data, 66 Kazakhstani enterprises applied for this certification. However, only 27 companies received it; the rest are still in limbo. Furthermore, every day of downtime results in additional costs.
Furthermore, China is banning the use of Russian grain in the production of Kazakh feed meal. This could also significantly complicate matters for Kazakh flour producers.
Finally, China is also raising its quality requirements for feed meal, prohibiting the use of any additives other than wheat, barley, and bran.
Suppliers are particularly dissatisfied with the fact that the rules were changed suddenly, without a transition period.
It’s likely that not all companies will be able to adapt, and feed meal exports from Kazakhstan to China will inevitably decline.
