Kathmandu: Nepal’s exports grew 13.81 per cent in the fiscal year 2025-26, reaching Rs 315.29 billion from Rs 277.03 billion a year earlier. Despite the improvement, the country still imports goods worth Rs 6.65 for every Re 1 of exports, according to the Department of Customs.
India remained Nepal’s largest export market, while demand for Nepali products also expanded in developed countries. One notable example was the export of churpi, a hardened cheese sold as dog and cat treats, worth Rs 4.18 billion to the United States. The figures point to growing diversification in Nepal’s export basket.
Soybean oil was the country’s top export, followed by large cardamom. Woollen carpets, sunflower oil and jute fabrics completed the top five. Nepal also exported yarsagumba to Hong Kong, tea and pashmina to Europe, ghee to Japan, and orchids and plant extracts to China.
The US remained the biggest market for Nepali carpets, importing carpets worth Rs 6.73 billion during the fiscal year. It also bought felt products worth Rs 1.92 billion, alongside the Rs 4.18 billion worth of chhurpi-based pet food.
Germany and the United Kingdom were key European buyers. Germany imported shawls and scarves worth Rs 1.28 billion, pashmina jerseys worth nearly Rs 400 million, and green tea worth Rs 103.6 million. The UK imported carpets worth Rs 492.7 million and pashmina products worth Rs 289.2 million.
Hong Kong imported 320 kilograms of yarsagumba worth Rs 231.3 million. Nepal also exported honey worth Rs 71.8 million to the Netherlands; ghee worth Rs 43.2 million and mitsumata bark worth Rs 159.3 million to Japan, and orchids and plant extracts worth Rs 201.6 million to China.
The top 10 export products were soybean oil, large cardamom, woollen carpets, sunflower oil, jute fabrics, refined palm oil, blended polyester yarn, single polyester yarn, felt products and fruit juice. Many processed edible oils are produced from imported raw materials before being re-exported, while traditional products such as carpets, felt, tea and cardamom continue to generate strong foreign exchange earnings.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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