Todd Bishop
“QazTrade” Trade Policy Development Center” JSC supports Kazakhstani producers from food, mechanical, engineering, chemical, light, IT, and services industries. The company plans to establish trade relations with the UAE as a direction for further development of the Republic of Kazakhstan’s export potential. QazTrade Export Acceleration program provides robust support to enterprises by facilitating the international expansion. Tailored for small and medium-sized enterprises eager to embark on or enhance their export activities, the program offers participants comprehensive support including product analysis, target market assessments, competitor evaluations, compliance with market requirements, identification of potential foreign partners, organization of B2B meetings, and educational workshops. Interested parties can get more detailed information about the program on the official Telegram channel @exportgov and the website www.export.gov.kz.
The ice cream manufacturing company Shin-Line is a participant of the QazTrade Export Acceleration Program 2022. Established in 1995, Shin-Line stands as the largest ice cream producer in Central Asia and the first Kazakhstani ice cream exporter to foreign markets. Its products are already well known in countries such as Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Mongolia.
In 2017, a transformative phase unfolded for the prominent Kazakh ice cream producer, marked by the successful attraction of investments totaling 5 million euros and a strategic partnership with the Danish company Gram Equipment. This collaboration facilitated the launch of a cutting-edge production line boasting a capacity of 36,000 servings per hour or over 70 tons per day. This remarkable output surpasses the performance of ice cream producers not only within the CIS but also in Eastern Europe and Asia.
At present, Shin-Line offers a diverse portfolio of over 140 ice cream varieties, with an annual production volume exceeding 13 thousand tons. The company envisions a progressive increase in the share of exports from the current 1% to 10% of total sales in the foreseeable future.
In a strategic move to diversify its international footprint, Shin-Line recently concluded successful negotiations with the high-profile company Al-Alameya Group. The Al-Alameya Group and its subsidiaries known for their diverse range of food products across bakalas, supermarkets, hypermarkets, and the HORECA sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and major cities in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), emerged as a pivotal partner for Shin-Line’s entry into the Middle East. The tasting session of Shin-Line’s premium ice cream offerings garnered positive feedback, affirming the appeal of Kazakhstani ice cream to Middle Eastern palates.
Following the successful negotiations, a comprehensive export business plan was elaborated upon the return to Kazakhstan. Leveraging the insights gathered and collaboration with international counterparts, Shin-Line plans to sell an ambitious 12,000 tons of ice cream in the Middle East over the next three years. As part of the entry strategy to the MENA market, Shin-Line will commence export through the port of Jeddah and extending to Riyadh, the capital of KSA, before expanding throughout the kingdom. Afterwards, within six months, the company plans to widen the export footprint with subsidiaries in the UAE, Qatar, Amman, Yemen, and Jordan.
