Export sees 46% growth

Kathmandu, Feb. 21 : Nepal’s export sector has shown impressive growth during the first seven months of the 2024/25 fiscal year, reflecting a healthy performance in the country’s foreign trade.

According to the latest data from the Department of Customs, Nepal's exports surged by 46.5 per cent, reaching a total value of Rs. 127.20 billion during the first seven months from mid-July 2024 to mid-February 2025 of the current fiscal year.  

This is a notable increase from Rs. 86.83 billion in the same period of the previous fiscal year, 2023/24.

Along with exports, imports have also increased by 10.09 per cent to Rs. 988.58 billion during the review period. 

In the same period of the last fiscal year, the country had imported goods worth Rs. 897.94 billion.

According to the statistics, the trade deficit increased by 6.20 per cent to Rs. 861.38 billion during the review period. 

The country had faced a trade deficit of Rs. 811.11 billion during the first seven months of the last fiscal year. 

Similarly, the country’s foreign trade volume has reached Rs. 1,115.79 billion during the review period which is 13.30 per cent more than the previous year. 

The surge in exports has notably improved Nepal’s export-to-import ratio, reducing it to 1:7.77, compared to 1:10.34 during the same period last fiscal year. The share of export in the total foreign trade is only 11.40 per cent while that of import is at 88.60 per cent. 

Soybean oil export rises by 58 times

The increment in the export of soybean oil, sunflower and tea and coffee has contributed to an increase in export trade during the review period.

The country has exported soybean oil worth Rs. 32.41 billion during the first seven months of the current fiscal year while it had exported soybean oil worth Rs. 541 million during the same period last fiscal year. During the review period, export increased by 58 times as compared to same period last year. 

The country exported soybean oil worth Rs. 13.51 billion in a single month from mid-January 2025 to mid-February 2026 of the current fiscal year.

It exported soybean oil worth Rs. 18.91 billion by mid-January 2025 of the current fiscal year.

Similarly, the export of sunflower increased by 44.39 times during the review period as compared to same period last fiscal year. 

Soybean oil worth Rs. 6.57 billion has been exported during the first seven months of the current fiscal year while it had been Rs. 148 million during the same period last fiscal year.

However, export of palm oil decreased by 61.55 per cent to Rs. 1.38 billion during the first seven months of the current fiscal year as compared to the same period last fiscal year. 

Palm oil worth Rs. 3.59 had been exported during the first seven months of the last fiscal year.

During the review period, carpet worth Rs. 7.01 billion and cardamom worth Rs. 5.39 billion were exported.

Petroleum products worth Rs. 151 billion imported

The petroleum products worth Rs. 151.30 billion have been imported during the first seven months of the current fiscal year.

Diesel is the most imported commodity in the first seven months of the current fiscal year. Diesel worth Rs. 66.48 billion has been imported during the period.

Petrol worth Rs. 37.64 billion, aviation fuel worth Rs. 11.04 billion and liquefied petroleum gas worth Rs. 35.47 billion were imported during the review period.

During the review period, the country imported about 6,256 four-wheeler electric vehicles worth Rs. 14.75 billion.

The country imported cereals, including maize, paddy and rice and wheat worth Rs. 36.34 billion during the review period.