Handicraft products worth Rs 5.32 billion exported last fiscal year

KATHMANDU, Aug 27 :

The country has exported handicraft products worth Rs 5.32 billion in the fiscal year 2013/14, said the Federation of Handicraft of Association (FHAN) on Wednesday. Despite huge fall in the exports of silver jewelry, total income of exports has grown by 21.97 per cent in 2013/14 compared to the previous fiscal year.

Total export income from handicraft products stood at Rs 4.36 billion in fiscal year 2012/13. Export of silver products stood Rs 111 million in 2013/14 against Rs 184 million in 2012/13, according to FHAN.

Traders involved in the business said the demand of silver jewelry in international market has been gradually falling for the last couple of years.

Nepal has been exporting Pashmina, felt products, woolen garments, handmade paper, silver products, wood craft, paintings and stone craft among others. “Handicraft industries are operating with a very nominal investment and creating employment as well as earning foreign currency,” said Bikash Ratna Dhakhwa, immediate past president of FHAN, adding “The industry has provided employment to over 2 million people.”

Handicrafts goods from Nepal have been enjoying market preference in the developed countries. The United States of America, Japan, Tibet, Germany, United Kingdom, France, China and India are the major markets for Nepali handicraft products. Earlier, the United States was the major market for the handicraft products but now China has emerged as a new market destination because export growth of handicraft products to China is more than the United States, according to Dhakhwa, “Buddhism-related metal craft and Pashmina are the major items exported to China.”

Though export growth is increasing the United States is the major buyer of the handicraft products. Nepal has exported handicraft products worth Rs 1.21 billion in 2013/14, which is 22.75 percent of the total handicraft exports. Export volume to the United States stood at Rs 1.27 billion in fiscal year 2012/13.

Likewise, exports to China stood at Rs 498 million in 2013/14 against 449 million in 2012/13. Tibet is also emerging as a new destination for handicraft exports, according to traders involved in handicraft business.

Similarly, export of handicraft products to Japan stood at Rs 331 million in the fiscal year 2013/14. Japan has also provided generalized system of preference (GSP) facility for Nepali handicraft products. Export to Germany stood at Rs 313 million, UK (Rs 218 million), France (217 million) and India (Rs 56 million), according to FHAN.

Source: Republica