Exports to India from Belahiya rise

By Our Correspondent,Bhairahawa, May 19: The country's export trade has seen significant improvement in the past three years through the Belahiya border crossing in Rupandehi. 

Although the Bhairahawa Customs Office has not been able to collect the revenue as per the target, there has been an improvement in exports.

According to the Customs Office, goods worth Rs. 16.44 billion have been exported till mid-May, 2025 of the current fiscal year 2024/25. 

In the last fiscal year 2023/24, goods worth Rs 13.82 billion were exported through this border crossing.

Similarly, Nepali products worth Rs. 10.70 billion were exported to India and third countries through the Belahiya border crossing in the fiscal year 2022/23.

Chief Customs Officer Ram Prasad Regmi said that there has been significant improvement in export trade via this border in the past three years.

The exports have increased by more than Rs. 3.25 billion in the fiscal year 2023/24 compared to the fiscal year 2022/23.

Similarly, goods worth Rs. 2.62 billion more have been exported in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year than in 12 months of the last fiscal year.

Customs Chief Regmi said that although the revenue collection target has not been achieved in three years, exports are gradually improving.

He mentioned that exports have increased by 45.22 per cent during the first 10 months of the current fiscal year compared to same period last fiscal year.

The main 10 items exported to India via this border crossing include refined soybean oil, synthetic yarn, cement gray, khair, kathha, pina (oilseed residue), iron or steel utensils, noodles, herbs and refined sunflower oil. 

Similarly, bran, chaff, other fiber fabrics, glass, ginger, dried fruits, plastic pipes, cinnamon, iron scrap and other goods are also exported.

Customs Chief Regmi said that most of the exported goods are consumed in various parts of India and some goods are also sent to other countries. 

This year, the highest amount of refined soybean oil has been exported from the Belahiya border crossing, followed by synthetic yarn.

During the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, soybean oil worth Rs. 4.93 billion has been exported, while synthetic yarn, which is in second place, has been exported worth Rs. 2.84 billion.

While synthetic yarn exports were in first place through this border crossing until the previous fiscal year, refined soybean oil has been exported in greater quantities this fiscal year.

Netra Prasad Acharya, President of Siddhartha Chamber of Commerce and Industry Rupandehi, said that the continuing improvement in exports has given a positive message to industrialists. 

He said that there are many hurdles in exports and emphasised the need to address the problems to increase export further.