In 2026, the Government of Kazakhstan is continuing the large-scale expansion of its mandatory digital labelling system for goods. Following tobacco products, footwear, and pharmaceuticals, the Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan has approved the phased implementation of the Data Matrix system for new product groups. Although the official goal of the reform is to protect consumers and bring the economy out of the shadows, retail businesses and importers are facing serious operational challenges.

Implementation Plan: Which Goods Are Subject to Labelling in 2026 and 2027

According to the official list, Kazakhstan is phasing in traceability for the following major categories in the retail and FMCG sectors in 2026:

1. Brewing Products: This is the main Food category of 2026. The implementation is divided into stages to allow a smooth transition for businesses: from February 1, 2026, digital labelling became mandatory for beer in kegs. From September 1, 2026, the requirements will be expanded to products in glass and PET bottles, and from January 1, 2027, to beverages in aluminium cans.

2. Light Industry Goods: A large-scale phase affecting garments and clothing will launch on December 1, 2026 (with subsequent expansion to other clothing categories in March and October 2027).

3. Dairy Products and Beverages (Plans for 2027): In early 2026, the authorities returned to discussions on labelling bottled water, sugar-sweetened beverages, and dairy products. According to the Digital Economy Development Center, pilot projects will launch in the near future, and the introduction of mandatory labelling for these Food categories is scheduled for 2027–2028.

“Shattered Nerves”: Why Retail is Suffering

The technological and financial side of implementing labelling has proven painful for the retail sector. As noted by the Kazakhstani publication Inbusiness.kz, the innovation complicates processes at the checkout and “will systematically shatter the nervous system of buyers.”

Each product receives a digital two-dimensional Data Matrix code. At the checkout, this code must be scanned with a 2D scanner to record the product’s withdrawal from the National Catalog of Goods (NKT). For small and medium-sized businesses, these requirements mean:

• Increased Capital Expenditure: The need to update checkout software, purchase modern scanners, and acquire data collection terminals.
• Slower Service: Communication failures with servers and the need to scan additional codes slow down cashiers’ work, provoking queues.
• Complicated Receiving: Accepting labelled goods into the warehouse takes significantly more time due to the mandatory reconciliation of electronic documents. Ultimately, these transaction costs are inevitably factored into the final retail price of the product on the shelf.

Impact on Importers from China and Asian Countries

For foreign suppliers, Kazakhstan’s new rules create a logistical barrier. In an ideal supply chain, the application of Data Matrix codes should be carried out before crossing the customs border of the Republic of Kazakhstan — directly at the factory packaging stage in the exporting country.

Chinese and Asian factories supplying clothing and food products will have to adapt their production lines to generate and print Kazakhstani codes. Otherwise, importers in Kazakhstan will have to organize expensive manual labelling at customs or transit warehouses. This will increase the logistics leg, lead to additional costs, and make the imported product less competitive in price compared to local equivalents.