Trade related activities up

KATHMANDU, MAY 11: 

During the first eight months of the current fiscal year, total trade observed an increment of 14.3 per cent, according to the Trade and Export Promotion Centre.

According to the data for the first eight months of fiscal year 2011-12, total trade was worth Rs 337.94 billion, which is an increase from Rs 295.62 billion in the corresponding period of last year.

Meanwhile, total imports during the same period this year was worth Rs 290.42 billion while total exports was worth Rs 47.52 billion. The export 

of woollen carpets and readymade garments during the first eight months observed quality growth along with lentils, polyester, textile, iron and steel, handicraft products, silver jewellery, noodles, toothpaste, cardamom, tea, ginger, betel nuts, Nepali handmade paper, leather, pashmina shawls and medicinal herbs which were among the major products exported.

Meanwhile gold, petroleum products, crude soyabean oil, articles of apparel and clothing accessories were the major imported products. 

India, United States, Germany, Bangladesh, United Kingdom, France, China, Italy, and Canada are the major importers of Nepali products while India, China, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Indonesia, Argentina, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, USA, Saudi Arabia and Singapore are the major exporters to Nepal. 

During the first eight months of the current fiscal year, export of woollen carpets increased by 18.3 per cent which was worth Rs 3.70 billion. Meanwhile, readymade garments worth Rs 2.925 billion was exported which is an increment of 9.6 per cent as compared to the same period last year. 

Similarly export of hides and skin, cardamom, ginger, and noodles increased by 29 per cent, 45 per cent, 51.1 per cent, and 24.8 per cent, respectively, whereas export of lentils, tea, vegetable fat and oil, woollen pashmina shawls and handicrafts plunged by 50.8 per cent, 12.4 per cent, 11.6 per cent, and 36.2 per cent respectively.

Import of gold also escalated to 469.9 per cent which is worth Rs 16.22 billion. Similarly, import of petroleum products increased to Rs 58.22 billion which is an increment of 30.8 per cent as compared to the same period last year. 

Import of articles of apparel and clothing accessories increased by 29.8 per cent which is worth Rs 5.02 billion.

According to TEPC statistics, import of iron and steel products, zinc and articles, betel nuts, aircraft and parts, cement, and fertilisers fell by five per cent, 24 per cent, 52.7 per cent, 24.7 per cent, 34.5 per cent and 12.3 per cent, respectively.

Source: THT