Nepal records over Rs 395bn trade deficit in first three months of FY 2025/26

KATHMANDU: Nepal records a trade deficit of Rs 395.3 billion in the first three months of the current fiscal year 2025/26.

Department of Customs published foreign trade statistics for the period July 17 to October 17 today, showing imports of Rs 468,083.3 million and exports of Rs 72,782.8 million, giving total foreign trade of Rs 540,866.1 million and a trade deficit of Rs 395,300.5 million.

Over the three months, Nepal imported goods worth Rs 258,878.2 million from neighbouring India and exported goods worth Rs 5,912.83 million to India, producing a trade deficit with India of Rs 252,965.37 million.

The trade deficit with China for the period stands at Rs 104.7036 billion, with imports from China totalling Rs 104.89 billion and exports Rs 186.4 million.

Nepal posts its largest trade surplus with Denmark in the period, with imports from Denmark of Rs 400.1 million and exports of Rs 289.9 million, yielding a surplus of Rs 110.2 million.

Nepal also maintains trade surpluses with Germany, Romania, Sweden and Lebanon.

The highest imports over the three months include petroleum products, with petrol worth Rs 16,788 million, diesel worth Rs 20,694.5 million and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) worth Rs 13,981.9 million.

(With inputs from RSS)