Kathmandu: In the past six months, Nepal generated trade surpluses with 36 countries while running deficits with 116. Top surplus partners included Romania, Denmark, Sweden, Nigeria, Iraq, Norway, and Iceland. Conversely, Nepal recorded its largest trade deficits with India (Rs 416.71 billion) and China (Rs 195.36 billion), followed by Argentina, the UAE, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia, Brazil, and Brunei.
Nepal’s trade deficit widened by 10.15 percent to Rs 797 billion in the first six months of FY 2025/26, driven by a sharp rise in imports that outpaced export growth. Imports increased by Rs 117 billion to Rs 939 billion, while exports rose by only Rs 43 billion to Rs 142 billion. Major imports included petroleum products, crude soybean oil, iron, gold, and smartphones. Exports were led by processed soybean oil, cardamom, carpets, sunflower oil, and fibre. India accounted for 56.7 percent of total imports, resulting in a Rs 416.7 billion trade deficit with the southern neighbor. Nepal recorded trade deficits with nearly all of the 152 countries it traded with.
