Kazakhstan will establish a new laboratory to strengthen oversight of exported raw materials and detect the presence of rare earth elements (REEs) and precious metals, Vice Minister of Industry and Construction Iran Sharkan announced at a briefing, according to Interfax-Kazakhstan.
The facility will be created under the National Geological Service and accredited to international standards. Its role will be to analyze the composition of ores and concentrates leaving the country, preventing the uncontrolled export of materials that may contain valuable or scarce metals.
Sharkan emphasized that unauthorized export of rare earths remains a pressing issue for Kazakhstan, and the government is actively working to address it. The new laboratory will ensure that shipments are properly assessed before crossing borders, closing gaps in current oversight.
The initiative follows calls made in September by the Ak Zhol party, which proposed that all export shipments of ores and concentrates undergo chemical testing in independent accredited laboratories, alongside the creation of state-run labs. The party argued that existing procedures—where analyses are commissioned directly by subsoil users—leave results unchecked and unverifiable by government authorities.
By establishing its own laboratory infrastructure, Kazakhstan aims to tighten control, safeguard strategic resources, and ensure transparency in the country’s mineral exports.
