In the first month of the current fiscal year, Nepal’s foreign trade reached a total of Rs. 166.97 billion, according to the Department of Customs.
Out of this, imports stood at Rs. 143.04 billion, while exports were only Rs. 23.93 billion. This left the country with a trade deficit of Rs. 119.10 billion in just one month.
Compared to the same month last fiscal year, imports have increased by 11.42% and exports have jumped by 95.75%.
In Shrawan, trade with India dominated the numbers. Nepal imported goods worth Rs. 83.53 billion from India and exported Rs. 19.45 billion, resulting in a deficit of Rs. 64.08 billion.
With China, imports reached Rs. 27.99 billion, while exports were only Rs. 54.8 million, leading to a huge deficit of Rs. 27.94 billion.
Nepal, however, recorded trade surpluses with countries like Germany, Afghanistan, the United States, Russia, Belgium, and Norway during this period.
What Nepal is Importing Most
Petroleum products topped the import list.
- Petrol: Rs. 5.77 billion
- Diesel: Rs. 5.88 billion
- LPG gas: Rs. 4.66 billion
Other major imports included:
- Crude soybean oil: Rs. 10.80 billion
- Smartphones: Rs. 3.41 billion
- Motorcycles: Rs. 1.74 billion
- Iron and steel products: Rs. 3.07 billion
- Gold: Rs. 1.52 billion
Soybean oil led the exports, bringing in Rs. 10.69 billion in Shrawan. Other top export included plywood, fruit juice, yarn, carpets, and cardamom.
