Kathmandu: Nepal’s trade deficit has crossed Rs 1.26 trillion in the first nine months (mid-July to mid-April) of the current fiscal year, reflecting a persistent imbalance between imports and exports. According to data released by the Department of Customs, the country imported goods worth Rs 1.49 trillion during this period, while exports stood at just Rs 222 billion.
Compared to the same period last year, imports rose by 13 percent, while exports increased by 18 percent. However, despite the relatively higher growth rate in exports, their overall share remains significantly smaller than imports. As a result, Nepal’s total foreign trade reached Rs 1.71 trillion in nine months, with the trade deficit widening to Rs 1.267 trillion.
In the previous year, imports amounted to around Rs 1.309 trillion, while exports were recorded at Rs 188 billion. So far in the current fiscal year, imports account for 87 percent of Nepal’s total foreign trade, leaving exports with a modest 13 percent share.
A breakdown of imports shows that agricultural goods and fuel dominate the list. Agricultural imports alone totalled approximately Rs 317 billion, followed by petroleum products worth Rs 250 billion. Fuel imports continue to exert heavy pressure on the economy, with diesel alone exceeding Rs 100 billion annually. In the past nine months, Nepal imported diesel worth Rs 103 billion, soybean oil worth Rs 76 billion, petrol worth Rs 50 billion, and gas worth Rs 41 billion.
Notably, smartphones have also emerged as one of the top five imported goods during this period, with imports reaching Rs 25.62 billion.
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