Kazakhstan flax seed exports set a new record of 1.08 million tonnes in 2025/26

July 24, 2026 at 12:55 PM1 min

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Kazakhstan exported a record 1.076 million tonnes of flax seeds in the first nine months of the 2025/26 marketing year, the Grain Union of Kazakhstan reported. The volume is 2.38 times higher than the same period last season, driven by surging demand from the European Union and China. The EU imposed a 20% duty on Russian flax in 2025, rising to 50% in 2026, diverting demand to Kazakh supplies.

Record-Breaking Exports

Kazakhstan shipped 1.076 million tonnes of flax seed from September to May 2025/26, a 2.38-fold increase year-on-year, according to Grain Union analyst Evgeny Karabanov. The May volume alone reached 71,300 tonnes, although that marked a 39% decline from April. The total already exceeds the entire previous marketing year’s exports by 2.05 times.

The European Union Pivot

EU imports of Kazakh flax jumped 88% to 495,200 tonnes in the year to June 2026, now comprising 72% of the bloc’s total flax imports. Belgium alone took 309,500 tonnes—up 82%—making it the top European destination. Poland, the Netherlands, and Italy saw multi-fold increases, while Estonia began importing from Kazakhstan this season.

China's Growing Appetite

China imported 386,700 tonnes of Kazakh flax over ten months through May, a 2.5-fold rise, lifting Kazakhstan’s share of China’s flax imports to 30.8% from 21% a year earlier. Total Chinese flax imports reached 1.257 million tonnes, 53% higher, with Russia still the largest supplier at 58% share. Afghanistan also tripled purchases to 107,600 tonnes.