Kazakh authorities have introduced an embargo on imports of gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel from Russia for a period of three months.

Kazakhstan is reportedly trying to ease oversupply of gasoline in the domestic market as demand has slumped due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Press service of Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry said in a statement on March 31 that they introduced a ban for a period of three months on the import into Kazakhstan from the Russian Federation by rail of gasoline, aviation and diesel fuel.

Supplies will be temporarily banned starting March 31, a source in the ministry’s press service explained to TASS.

Earlier, Kazakh producers of gasoline and diesel fuel for export were exempted from paying excise taxes by the end of the year.

Recall, Kazakhstan’s Agriculture Ministry has said it plans to impose limits on the amount of wheat it allows to be exported so as to ensure there are sufficient grain stocks to tide it over during a period of coronavirus-related emergency

Limits on the export of these basic staples come amid a raft of measures intended to preserve calm in the face of the global coronavirus crisis, according to Eurasianet.

On March 28, Information Minister Dauren Abayev reportedly said at a briefing that the government had, one week earlier, approved a ban on the export of essential food staples, including flour, buckwheat, sugar, potatoes, carrots, onions, cabbages and sunflower oil. 

CIS