Nepal takes part in third Trade Policy Review

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Nov. 19: Nepal participated in its third Trade Policy Review (TPR) at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva on Monday, reaffirming its dedication to a rules-based multilateral trading system and highlighting a series of institutional and policy reforms introduced since 2018.

According to a press statement issued by Nepal’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, the country highlighted progress in strengthening trade and investment frameworks, advancing women and youth entrepreneurship, improving climate-resilient trade infrastructure, and introducing measures aimed at attracting greater foreign investment. 

Nepal also underscored its preparations for graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) category in 2026.

A total of 42 WTO Members, including Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Brazil, Burkina Faso, China, Canada, Cambodia, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, EU, Gambia, Guatemala, Hong Kong-China, Iceland, India, Japan, Jamaica, Jordan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Morocco, Mongolia, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Türkiye, Tanzania, Thailand, UAE, UK, USA, and Zambia, participated in the review process. 

Seventeen WTO Members had submitted over 187 questions to Nepal in advance.

Members commended Nepal for its active engagement in the multilateral trading system, for the ratification of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and efforts to graduate from the LDC status in 2026. 

Delivering the opening statement, Dr. Ram Prasad Ghimire, Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies and head of the Nepali delegation, noted that Nepal — the first LDC to join the WTO through accession in 2004 — remained committed to the rule-based, transparent, predictable, and fair multilateral trading system. 

He said that Nepal has been constructively engaged in WTO reforms, trade and development, trade in services, e-commerce, agriculture reforms, LDC graduation, TRIPS, the G90 proposal, rules of origin, and other contemporary themes to strengthen multilateral trading systems while safeguarding the interest and priorities of LDCs including graduated ones and LLDCs.

“Nepal believes that protecting the planet is a shared responsibility of all countries and, emphasises on the need of effective implementation of international climate commitments and take urgent actions to achieve the SDGs,” he said. 

Highlighting Nepal’s macroeconomic performance, Ghimire said that Nepal remained steady with positive progress throughout the review period, supported by structural shifts and improved sectoral performance, said Ghimire. 

In the review period, Nepal’s economy, measured by its GDP at current prices, expanded by 58 per cent. Similarly, GNI per capita increased from US$1,216 to 1,517. The structural composition of the economy continued shifting toward services with the increase of share in GDP of service sector by 2.64 percentage points to 62.70 per cent.

“Despite facing a series of external and domestic shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply chain disruption and climate-induced disasters, Nepal has been able to maintain economic stability and steady growth,” he said. 

He noted that Nepal’s macroeconomic outlook demonstrates resilience and gradual transformation, supported by rising incomes, expanding service sector, and persistent growth in remittance inflows.

He also noted improvements in the business environment, including the introduction of an automated route for investment approval through the One Stop Service Centre and the simplification of company registration and exit procedures via an online system.

The WTO's Trade Policy Review is an important transparency mechanism, in which participating Members showcase their trade policies and practices as multilateral peer review exercise to enhance understanding, promote accountability, and strengthen the multilateral trading system. 

It serves as a platform for collective evaluation, knowledge sharing, and policy feedback among WTO Members. 

The meeting was Chaired by Ambassador Kairat Torebayev of Kazakhstan while Ambassador Nagai Katsuro (Japan) served as discussant. 

The Nepali delegation led by Dr. Ghimire comprised Ambassador Ram Prasad Subedi, and the officials from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, as well as the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations, WTO and other International Organizations in Geneva. 

Nepal's Trade Policy Review is scheduled to conclude on 19 November 2025.