Foreign trade rises in first quarter, imports high in Dashain month

Nepal's total foreign trade rose by around 41 percent to about Rs 761 billion in the first three months of the current fiscal year.

According to Department of Customs data, goods worth around Rs 647 billion were imported from Shrawan to Asoj, about 38 percent more than in the same period last year.

In the month of Asoj alone, which included Dashain, goods worth around Rs 245 billion were imported. Such imports had stood at around Rs 214 billion in Bhadra.

Exports rose by about 57 percent to around Rs 114 billion. However, the trade deficit also widened by about 35 percent to around Rs 532 billion. The trade deficit in the same three months last year was around Rs 395 billion.

By value, crude soybean oil was the single largest import, with spending of more than Rs 50 billion. Diesel imports cost around Rs 47 billion and petrol around Rs 25 billion.

Paddy and rice worth around Rs 4.5 billion were also imported during the same period.