ECON to mark '10th Export Day' with fair in Kathmandu on Jan 4-5

KATHMANDU: The Export Council of Nepal (ECON) said the 10th Export Day will be celebrated to promote the export sector and strengthen Nepal’s economy.

ECON held a press conference in Kathmandu on Friday to announce that an export fair will be organised in Kathmandu on January 4 and 5 in collaboration with the Trade and Export Promotion Centre (TEPC).

ECON President Naresh Lal Shrestha said the fair is being organised to promote handicrafts, agricultural products and other Nepali goods in international markets, earn foreign currency and reduce the trade deficit.

The council listed items currently exported from Nepal, including sunflower oil, iron, woollen carpets, ready‑made garments, jute materials, juice, black cardamom, felt items, oil cakes (pina), pashmina, noodles, cement, soybean oil, palm oil, chhurpi, Nepali paper, handicraft materials, tea and coffee.

Shrestha said such fairs would help create employment opportunities by attracting the younger generation to exports, entrepreneurship and innovation. He added that problems in exports have arisen due to a lack of export infrastructure, high transportation costs, a shortage of skilled manpower, insufficient cold storage, political instability and the unavailability of subsidised loans and financial facilities for small enterprises and exporters.

He also said further problems stem from difficulties in meeting international quality standards, a decline in competitiveness because of high raw material and production costs, poor coordination within the bureaucracy, and limited participation in international trade fairs and digital marketing.

ECON 1st Vice President Ram Sharan Thapaliya, who is also a member of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), said the export sector has suffered since agreements reached between the government and businesses have not been implemented. Thapaliya said that although various political parties prioritise export promotion in their manifestos, implementation remains weak and the government should place the export sector, the backbone of Nepal’s economy, high on its agenda.

Min Bahadur Kunwar, senior officer of the TEPC, praised ECON’s role in bringing Nepali goods to the world market and said TEPC is working to resolve the hassles encountered during export.

ECON general secretary Hari Dhakal said the country’s development is not possible unless priority is given to health, education, agriculture, employment and exports. He noted that even during a major movement in Bangladesh, the government there prioritised industry and exports, and he urged Nepal to treat industrialists and export entrepreneurs accordingly.

Goods worth Rs 277.03 billion were exported from Nepal in the last fiscal year 2024/25, and goods worth Rs 93.5 billion have been exported in the first four months of the current fiscal year, the council said.