Nepal traded with 163 countries, but among them, it had a trade surplus with only 37 countries. Trade with the remaining countries was in deficit. Data from the Department of Customs shows that Nepal’s trade deficit has been increasing as imports have continued to exceed exports.
In the fiscal year 2081/82 B.S. Nepal imported goods worth NPR 1 trillion 804 million120 million (18 kharba 4 arba and12 crore), while exports amounted to only NPR 277 billion 30 million (2 kharba 77 arba and 3 crore). According to the Department of Customs, this resulted in a trade deficit of NPR 1.527 trillion 9.25 billion 30 thousand (15 kharba 27 arba 9 crore 25 lakh and 30 thousand) during the same fiscal year.
Nepal has a trade deficit with countries such as India, China, Argentina, Ukraine, the UAE, Australia, Indonesia, and Thailand, among others. According to customs data, Nepal imported goods worth NPR 1 trillion 71 billion 19 million 900 thousand (10 kharba 71 arba 19 crore 89 lakh) from India, while exports to India amounted to only NPR 224 billion 684 million 300 thousand (2 kharba 24 arba 68 crore 43 lakh). Nepal imported goods like diesel, petrol, liquefied petroleum gas, paddy, maize, iron/steel, coal, and bitumen from India. On the other hand, Nepal exported refined sunflower oil, cardamom, mixed juice, yarn, cement, and similar products to India.
Similarly, Nepal imported goods worth NPR 341 billion104 million 500 thousand (3 kharba 41 arba 10 crore 45 lakh) from China, while exports to China amounted to only NPR 2.63 billion (2 arba 63 crore). Imports from China included mobile phones, electric vehicles, apples, laptops, garlic, footwear, and other goods. Nepal exported carpets, felt products, wooden items, yarsagumba, incense sticks, and similar products to China. According to the Department, Nepal has a trade surplus with countries such as Afghanistan, Denmark, Russia, Romania, and Austria. From Afghanistan, Nepal imported goods worth NPR 84 million 297 thousand (8 crore 42 lakhs 97 thousand), while it exported goods worth NPR 770.41 million (77 crore 4 lakhs 15 thousand). Nepal imported goods worth NPR 362 million 622 thousand (36 crore 26 lakhs 22 thousand) from Denmark, while it exported goods worth NPR 701 million 536 thousand (70 crore 15 lakhs 36 thousand).
