Kazakhstan's import of Russian chocolate reached a staggering $118.3 million during the initial six months of 2025

In the first half of 2025, Kazakhstan has seen a significant surge in imports of confectionery products and sugar from its neighbour, Russia. According to the UN trade platform Comtrade, Kazakhstan emerged as the top buyer of Russian chocolate for the first four months of the year, with purchases totaling $78.3 million.

Russia's chocolate production has been on the rise, with a 9.2% growth in 2024, placing the country among the top 15 exporters worldwide. The exports were worth over $500 million, a testament to Russia's growing prominence in the global chocolate market.

The surge in imports can be attributed to the price increases announced by manufacturers like Mondelez, the producer of Alpen Gold, Milka, Picnic, Oreo, among others. These price hikes have led retailers like X5, the largest in Russia, to temporarily halt the purchase of certain Mars products due to "unfair pricing." X5 has since replaced these products with cheaper alternatives.

The suspended Mars products include popular brands such as Snickers, Twix, Bounty, Mars, Milky Way, "Korkunov," M&Ms, and Skittles, as well as Orbit, Eclipse, and Wrigley's chewing gum.

Kazakhstan's imports of chocolate from Russia amounted to 28,000 tons and $118.3 million in the first six months of the year, marking a 32% increase from the same period last year. The imports of white chocolate also saw a 10% year-on-year increase, with 11,100 tons and $38.2 million worth of imports.

Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, China, Armenia, Serbia, Moldova, and Germany were among the top buyers of Russian chocolate, following Kazakhstan. Germany imported more chocolate from Russia than any other country except Kazakhstan, likely due to EU sanctions and tariffs restricting imports from Russia for other countries.

Mars Inc. announced a 5-19% increase in wholesale prices for some of their cocoa-based products, including brands like Snickers, Twix, M&M's, starting April. This price increase has been mirrored in the retail sector, with chocolate prices in Russia experiencing an average increase of 47% in 2024.

In response to the price increases, Mahovev has planned to invest 11.52 billion rubles in expanding Essen's confectionery production. This investment aims to increase production capacity and potentially reduce prices in the future.

For those interested in staying updated on this developing story, Zen.News, Zen.News email newsletter, Telegram, and VKontakte are available platforms. For a deeper dive into the world of chocolate, the article "How Dubai chocolate conquered the world and why it's so expensive" by Gleb Beloglav is available on Be Choco.

Kazakhstan's import of Russian chocolate reached a staggering $118.3 million during the initial six months of 2025