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The United States and Kazakhstan have agreed a locomotive deal worth up to $4.2 billion that will see Wabtec Corporation supply 300 locomotives, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick announced on Monday.
Lutnick said the historic agreement followed a call between President Donald Trump and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Writing on X, he added that the locomotives would boost connectivity across Europe and Asia through the Middle Corridor, with American technology at the core.
"While our rail industry faces unfair attacks from the nonsensical rush toward electric-only policies, this deal delivers strong support for one of our most significant industries.
This $4 Billion deal is more than just a huge success story. It’s about American innovation leading the world, supporting thousands of jobs in TX & PA, & strengthening the U.S.–Kazakhstan partnership." he wrote in the post.
The deal comes against a backdrop of trade tensions as Kazakhstan, which borders Russia and China, has been hit with a 25% tariff rate by Trump.
In July, Tokayev notified President Trump in a letter that his government was ready for constructive dialogue on trade.
The commerce Secretary added that "This is President Trump’s America First trade policy in action: landmark exports, new markets, & U.S. workers winning big!".
Kazakhstan continues active cooperation with the U.S. as latest figures show that in 2024, trade turnover between the countries amounted to $4.2 billion, an increase of 4% from the previous year.
The main export items from Kazakhstan to the U.S. include crude oil, more than 56%, uranium, about 16%, silver, 12%, iron alloys, 9.5%, and tantalum and tantalum products.
It is worth noting that on 7 September, former U.S. President Donald Trump indicated the possibility of visiting Kazakhstan, emphasising the positive nature of his communication with Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has begun negotiations with European leaders over Greenland and that an agreement is already taking shape.
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
Dmitry Medvedev, said European countries have failed to defeat Russia in Ukraine and have instead inflicted serious economic damage on themselves, as he criticised EU policy, praised Donald Trump as a leader who seeks peace, and said Russia would “soon” achieve military victory in the war.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any U.S. military attack on Iran would spark a wider regional conflict, Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.
U.S. president Donald Trump said Iran is “seriously talking” with the United States and expressed hope that negotiations could lead to an outcome acceptable to Washington.
Any U.S. military strike on Iran would almost certainly trigger cross-border retaliation and could ignite a wider regional war, according to political analyst James M. Dorsey.
Iran's leadership warned of a regional conflict on Sunday (1 February) if the U.S. were to attack it, stoking the tension between Washington and Tehran, and it designated EU armies as "terrorist groups" in a retaliatory move.
Iranian media outlets have backtracked on claims President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered a return to nuclear talks with the United States, fuelling fresh uncertainty over the state of diplomacy between the two rivals.
Uzbekistan has suspended mandarin and pineapple imports from China following the discovery of dangerous plant pests in multiple shipments, according to the Agency for Quarantine and Plant Protection.
Tensions flared on X this week after German MEP Michael Gahler called leaders of Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party “Moscow creatures”, criticising recent legislation he says threatens the country’s democratic path.
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