Nepal’s trade deficit for the first ten months of the current fiscal year has remained at Rs. 12.04 Kharba, according to the recently released Nepal Trade Statistics by the Department of Customs. This represents a decrease of 15.85% compared to the trade gap of Rs. 14.31 Kharba during the same period in the previous fiscal year. Both imports and exports have also witnessed a decline of 16.78% and 24.49% respectively when compared to the corresponding period of FY 2078/79.
During the first ten months of FY 2079/80, Nepal’s imports amounted to Rs. 13.35 Kharba, with petroleum products being the top imported commodity, followed by crude soya bean oil and crude palm oil. On the other hand, the country’s exports reached Rs. 1.3 Kharba, experiencing a significant drop compared to the previous year’s figures.
It is noteworthy that Nepal’s trade deficit has narrowed in the review period, indicating some improvement in the overall trade balance. However, the decline in both import and export values suggests challenges in the external trade sector, which require attention and strategic measures to promote trade growth.
Please note that the provided data is based on the first ten months (Shrawan-Baishakh) of FY 2079/80, which corresponds to the period from mid-July 2022 to mid-May 2023.