U.S. President Donald Trump has sent an official letter to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, announcing the introduction of a 25% tariff on all Kazakh imports to the United States starting August 1, 2025, News.Az reports citing CNBC.
In the letter, Trump described the U.S.-Kazakhstan trade relationship as “far from reciprocal,” blaming longstanding tariff and non-tariff barriers imposed by Kazakhstan for creating a persistent trade deficit harmful to U.S. economic and national security interests.
While reaffirming Washington’s commitment to working with Astana, Trump invited Kazakh companies to invest in U.S.-based manufacturing instead, promising fast-track approvals for domestic operations.
He also warned that any retaliatory tariff hikes from Kazakhstan would be met with proportional increases on top of the new 25% rate. The move, Trump said, is aimed at correcting years of “unfair trade practices” and rebalancing bilateral commerce on more equitable terms.
