Nepal's foreign trade reaches Rs. 1,291B

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Feb. 21: Nepal’s foreign trade recorded a significant expansion in the first seven months of the current fiscal year 2025/26, driven by a sharp rebound in exports and a steady rise in imports.

According to trade statistics released by the Department of Customs, the country’s total foreign trade reached Rs. 1,291.63 billion by mid-February of the current fiscal year. 

This marks a robust 15.76 per cent increase compared to the same review period of the previous fiscal year. 

During the review period, the ratio of import and export stood at 1: 6.68 while the ratio was 1: 7.7 during the same period in fiscal year 2024/25. The contribution of exports and imports to the total trade is 13.02 and 86.98 per cent, respectively. 

Exports increase to Rs. 168.14 billion

According to the Department of Customs, the country's exports increased by 32.19 per cent during the first seven months of the current fiscal year compared to the same period of last fiscal year 2024/25.

Goods worth above Rs. 168.14 billion were exported during the review period of the current fiscal year, while the country had exported goods worth Rs. 127.20 billion in the corresponding period last fiscal year. 

The increment in the export of soybean oil, cardamom and tea and coffee led to an increase in the overall export during the review period. 

Export of soybean oil almost doubled during the review period as compared to the corresponding period last fiscal year. 

Soybean oil worth Rs. 66.79 was exported during the first seven months of the current fiscal year, while soybean oil worth Rs. 32.41 billion was exported during the first seven months of the last fiscal year.

Similarly, palm oil worth Rs. 3.77 billion was exported in the first seven months of the current fiscal year. That figure for the same period last fiscal year was Rs. 1.38 billion. 

The export of sunflower oil also decreased to Rs. 5.7 billion during the review period from Rs. 6.57 billion during the same period last fiscal. 

During the review period, tea and coffee worth Rs. 2.60 billion and cardamom worth Rs. 8.6 billion were exported.

Imports rise by 13.65 per cent

During the review period, imports increased by 13.65 per cent. Goods worth Rs. 1,123.48 billion were imported, compared to Rs. 988.58 billion during the same period last fiscal year.

Over the seven months, Nepal imported petroleum products worth Rs. 151.80 billion. 

According to the statistics, the country imported petrol worth Rs. 38.13 billion, diesel worth Rs. 69.91 billion, aviation fuel worth Rs. 11.51 billion, kerosene worth Rs. 402 million and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) worth Rs. 31.85 billion during the review period.

Additionally, crude sunflower worth Rs. 70.99 billion, crude palm oil worth Rs. 6.92 billion, and sunflower oil worth Rs. 9.92 billion were imported during the review period.

The country spent Rs. 35.62 billion for the import of cereals, including paddy and rice (Rs. 25.48 billion), wheat (Rs. 1.20 billion), maize (Rs. 8.30 billion), and millet (Rs. 429 million) during the review period. 

Despite the sharp increase in exports, Nepal’s trade deficit continued to widen during the first seven months of the current fiscal year.

The country’s trade deficit rose by 10.91 per cent to Rs. 955.34 billion by mid-February 2026. 

During the same period of the previous fiscal year 2024/25, the trade deficit stood at Rs. 861.38 billion.