Rosatom Is Losing Contracts In Kazakhstan

• 16.10.2026, 17:44

Cooperation with Russian entities has become too risky.

Russia is losing ground in Kazakhstan’s uranium industry, while China is strengthening its control over supplies of this strategic raw material. Kazatomprom, the Republic of Kazakhstan’s national operator for uranium imports and exports, approved a contract with a Chinese state-owned buyer but rejected a virtually identical agreement with Russia’s Rosatom, reports The National Interest (translation by Charter97.org).

The decision reflects changes to the rules governing foreign companies that Kazakhstan introduced at the end of 2025. Now, it is no longer enough for foreign partners to simply purchase uranium and export it abroad. To secure a more significant stake in projects, they must invest in the processing of raw materials within the country and transfer the necessary technologies.
China has proven willing to accept these conditions. It not only purchases uranium but also invests in local nuclear fuel production facilities. Rosatom, on the other hand, is facing the consequences of Western sanctions, which have made cooperation with Russian entities commercially risky.

“A company that builds production facilities in Kazakhstan retains its place; one that merely wants to export concentrate does not,” the author explains, outlining the logic behind the new rules.

This is a significant blow to Moscow. Since 2009, Kazakhstan has been the world’s largest uranium producer, accounting for about 40% of global output. The loss of new contracts weakens Russia’s position in this strategically important industry, although Rosatom has not been completely pushed out of Kazakhstan’s nuclear sector.

The United States and European countries also risk coming out on the losing end. They want to reduce their dependence on Russian nuclear fuel, but so far have not offered Kazakhstan an equally advantageous model for cooperation.