The European Union has created an exemption in its 18th sanctions package allowing Kazakh coal to transit through certain Russian ports, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Trade and Integration announced.
According to the ministry, the exemption applies only to coal of Kazakh origin. Additionally, the cargo must be owned by entities not based in countries subject to EU sanctions. The Russian ports may serve only as transit hubs — for loading, unloading or dispatch — and not for the sale or production of goods on Russian territory.
The EU’s 16th sanctions package, implemented in February 2025, had previously banned all transactions...