Kazakhstan Trade Ministry Clarifies Alcohol Marketplace Rules as Wildberries Attacks Cost 1.6 Bln Tenge
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Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Trade and Integration clarified Wednesday that listing alcohol on e-commerce platforms is not automatically illegal, placing the compliance burden on sellers, while drone attacks on Wildberries warehouses in Russia inflicted 1.6 billion tenge in losses on around 200 Kazakh entrepreneurs, according to industry estimates.
Online Alcohol Sales Rules
The Ministry of Trade said the law on regulating trade activities does not impose a standalone ban on online alcohol sales, and a recently published list of restricted goods merely codifies existing norms rather than creating new prohibitions. Sellers must hold the required licenses and comply with legislation on ethyl alcohol and alcohol products; a marketplace listing or technical ability to place orders does not by itself constitute a violation. Enforcement and licensing fall under the Ministry of Finance, while the trade ministry’s advisory list has no legal force.
Wildberries Warehouse Attacks
Since mid-July, Ukrainian drones have struck over ten Wildberries logistics centers across Russia, causing fires that destroyed goods and disrupted distribution. The Association of Electronic Commerce Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan estimates about 200 of its 300 members suffered combined losses of around 1.6 billion tenge, DKNews reported. Merchandise belonging to Kazakh sellers but stored in Russian warehouses burned before final damage assessments were complete, and Wildberries is still reconfiguring logistics routes.
Minister’s Advisory
Trade Minister Arman Shakkaliyev urged Kazakh consumers to choose trusted marketplaces and give preference to domestic platforms where logistics chains are less exposed to external risks, invoking “economic patriotism” in comments to Nur.kz. He noted that Wildberries has not formally requested additional warehouse space in Kazakhstan, though it currently rents about 46,000 square meters. The minister cautioned that significantly below-market prices should prompt closer scrutiny by buyers.
What's Next
The trade ministry said it will continue monitoring e-commerce compliance while Wildberries works to restore logistics after the Russian warehouse attacks. It remains unclear whether further drone strikes will deepen losses for Kazakh sellers or accelerate a shift toward domestic platforms.
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Kazakhstan Trade Ministry Clarifies Alcohol Marketplace Rules as Wildberries Attacks Cost 1.6 Bln Tenge
