The fiscal year 2021/22 saw Nepal’s largest imports and exports in terms of dollar value, according to the Department of Customs. In the fiscal year 2078/79 BS (2021/22), Nepal imported goods from 164 countries. 1.92 trillion rupees worth of goods were imported into Nepal in the recently ended fiscal year. Here are the top 10 imports by value for the fiscal year 2021–2022, as reported by the Department of Customs.
*The Department of Customs and The Research of the Everest list were used to rank the data.
1. Liquidified Petrolium Gas
Nepal imports 50,000 tons of cooking gas each month. The majority of the increase in gas usage was attributable to residential use, with a small increase in industrial usage. LPG was bought by Nepal for Rs. 15,27,39,84,446.12 during the fiscal year 2021/22. 210 gas bullets allegedly enter Nepal at various border crossings, according to the authorities.
2. Milled Rice
Despite the fact that 42.5% of the country’s GDP was made up of agricultural products, Nepal still depends on imports to maintain its food supply. $125 million worth of whole or semi-milled rice was imported by Nepal totaling Rs. 15.7 Arba. India is credited with exporting the most rice (semi-milled/wholly milled) in 2020, with exports totaling $7.53 billion, followed by Thailand with $3.34 billion. Saudi Arabia and the United States were the top importers, each spending $1.35 billion on imports.
3. Gold, semi-manufactured forms
With a trade value of $78.1 billion, semi-manufactured gold, or gold in non-monetary forms, ranked as the 18th most traded good in 2020. With $13.5 billion in semi-manufactured gold exports, Australia had the highest export value, while the UK had the highest import value at $25.4 billion. Jewelry, gold bullion, gold bars, and gold coins are all produced using semi-manufactured gold. A total of Rs. 16.6 Arab worth of semi-manufactured gold was imported by Nepal. The product’s HS (Harmonized System) Code, also known as its commodity code, is 710813.
4. Flat rolled product of iron of a thickness less than 3mm
Flat sheets of iron are essential for construction in developing nations like Nepal. The top exporters of flat-rolled iron with a thickness of less than 3 mm in 2020 were China ($38.5 million) and Russia ($67.9 million). France and Germany were the top importers, each bringing in $67.5 million and $34.2 million, respectively. As the pandemic ended in 2021, imports and exports skyrocketed because Nepal had brought in a whopping Rs. 16.7 Arba ($161 million) worth of flat rolled iron.
5. Coal
Coal, which is frequently used as fuel in brick kilns, is the fourth most common imported good in Nepal. In 2021, Nepal imported coal into the country worth 21,43,33,58,073.56. Australia, South Africa, and India are a few of the countries that provide coal to Nepal. The HS Code for it is 27011900.