Kazakhstani company hit by EU sanctions

The European Union on April 23, 2026, as part of the 20th package of restrictive measures, added the Kazakhstani LLP United Trading Group to the sanctions list. The company is accused of helping to circumvent existing export restrictions. According to official information, this enterprise was registered in Kazakhstan on March 17, 2022, and its office is located in Almaty. According to the EU, the basis for blacklisting the company was suspicion of its involvement in the supply of high-purity hydrogen chloride used in semiconductor production. According to the investigation, the supply chain was as follows: German company UrSeCo Handels GmbH & Co. KG purchased the product from manufacturer Wacker Chemie AG. The goods were then directed to United Trading Group in Kazakhstan. European regulators believe the product was later re-shipped to Russian companies such as Siltron and Elektrosnab. It is noted that this supply chain passed through several countries, including Poland, Turkey, and Kazakhstan. It was also established that one of the Russian companies had an indirect connection with the German supplier. The EU regarded these actions as a violation of Regulation No. 833/2014, which prohibits the export of certain chemicals to Russia. Inclusion in the sanctions list entails the following restrictions:

• Freezing of the company's assets in the EU;
• Prohibition of any interaction with European operators.

In addition, sanctions were applied not only to the legal entity but also to the company's head, Alimzhan Bekov. Photo: Freepik