20.09.2026 Trade & Markets #EAEU #China #Import #Export #Statistics #Trade agreements

EEC: nearly 48% of EAEU foreign trade is with SCO countries

On September 17, 2026, a roundtable titled "EAEU – SCO: Boosting Economic Cooperation" was held at the SCO Secretariat in Beijing as part of the "Days of the EAEU" event series. Bakytzhan Sagintaev, Chairman of the Eurasian Economic Commission's Board, said that in 2025 trade between EAEU states and SCO countries reached $371 billion, and in the first half of 2026 it stood at $197 billion, up more than 17% year-on-year. According to Sagintaev, SCO countries now account for nearly 48% of the EAEU's total foreign trade (EEC).

Four priorities named by the EEC

Sagintaev outlined four areas the Commission wants to develop further with SCO partners:

The Commission named these priorities as the basis for further engagement with SCO partners (EEC).

A 2027–2030 plan touching customs regulation

The same day, September 17, 2026, at SCO headquarters in Beijing, Sagintaev and SCO Secretary-General Nurlan Ermekbaev signed a Plan of Joint Activities for 2027–2030 implementing the 2021 memorandum of understanding between the EEC and the SCO Secretariat. The plan provides for joint participation in events, information exchange and analytical work covering:

What this means for EAEU traders

The SCO is not a customs union, so these figures do not by themselves change duty rates. What matters more for businesses whose logistics and payments run through China and other SCO members is that the newly signed 2027–2030 plan explicitly names customs regulation and sanitary, veterinary and phytosanitary measures as areas of joint work between the EEC and the SCO Secretariat. The plan does not yet introduce specific procedural changes or new declaration requirements — it sets out areas where the two sides have agreed to exchange information and prepare analytical materials.

Primary sources

This material is for information only and does not constitute legal advice or customs consulting. Verify changes against the primary sources before acting.