Clothing Labeling in Kazakhstan Starts on December 1

In the view of industry representatives, labeling has so far not reduced illegal footwear trade. Enterprises are already adapting to new requirements — the National Catalogue of Goods and the new Tax Code — and competing with Chinese marketplaces. Domestic brands cannot raise prices due to additional expenses: otherwise they would lose customers. As a result, the costs fall on the enterprises themselves, and the association fears that for some of them this will become a critical blow.

The Union of Entrepreneurs proposes an alternative model. "We see the effective model as follows: labeling, customs data, tax data, e-commerce, online cash registers, as well as risk-oriented control. The state should be able to compare the volume of officially produced and imported goods with the volume of actual sales. If a product whose origin cannot be confirmed appears on the market, the system should see it. If the sales volume significantly exceeds the legal volume of imports or production, this should also be recorded," explained Zhanar Kozhumumratova, a representative of the entrepreneurs' union ADAL TAUAR.

The ministry took into account the seasonality of the industry and the large volumes of stock on the market. Entrepreneurs were given a transition period: unlabeled products can be sold until January 1, 2028. After that date, remaining goods will have to be labeled — selling without codes will become impossible.

The ministry expects the new rules to make the market more transparent. According to analysis, the share of illegal and shadow turnover in light industry currently exceeds 50%. Over the first five years of applying labeling, this figure is forecast by the ministry to decrease by 35%.