Abstract

The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is frequently analysed through institutional design, geopolitics, and aggregate trade outcomes, yet less is known about how integration is experienced by firms within member states. This article examines the consequences of EAEU membership for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Kazakhstan’s manufacturing sector. Drawing on 17 semi-structured interviews with SME owners and managers and a qualitative analysis of 121 newspaper articles, it traces how integration is translated into everyday business practice. The findings show that outcomes are unevenly distributed and structured by asymmetric power relations within the EAEU. Kazakhstani SMEs face intensified competition from Russian producers, higher input costs linked to tariff harmonisation, and recurrent non-tariff barriers that restrict access to partner markets. These constraints are reinforced by discretionary enforcement and transit dependencies, generating rule-based uncertainty for firms with limited administrative and political capacity. Geopolitical shocks, particularly sanctions-related disruptions and currency volatility, further transmit instability through integrated supply chains and trade routes. By foregrounding firm-level experiences, the article contributes to debates on Eurasian integration and authoritarian regionalism, showing how formal rules interact with informal hierarchies to generate dependency for peripheral member states.