Nepal foreign trade · FY 2081/82 (2024/25)

Nepal's import & export analysis, in full

Name: Nepal Foreign Trade by Country, FY 2081/82 (2024/25)
Creator: Amarnepal
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

How much Nepal buys from and sells to the world, country by country and commodity by commodity, and the single number that defines its economy: for every Rs 1 exported, Nepal imports about Rs 6.5. Every figure is traced to the Department of Customs, Nepal Rastra Bank and TEPC.

Total imports

Rs 0 bn

FY 2081/82

Total exports

Rs 0 bn

FY 2081/82

Trade deficit

Rs 0 bn

Imports minus exports

Import : export

6.5 : 1

Exports cover ~15% of imports

The defining imbalance

A trade deficit baked into the economy

Nepal is a structurally import-dependent economy. Petroleum, vehicles, machinery, gold and even cooking oil are bought abroad, while exports remain thin and concentrated. The gap is filled largely by remittances from Nepalis working overseas.

Export cover: 15%
Total trade: Rs 2.08 trillion

Imports vs exports, Rs billion

6.5:1IMP : EXP

ImportsRs 1.80 trillion86.7%
ExportsRs 277.03 bn13.3%

What changed in a year

The edible-oil export surge

Exports jumped +81.8% in a single year, from Rs 152 bn in FY 2080/81 to a record Rs 277 bn in FY 2081/82, almost entirely because Nepal imported crude soybean and sunflower oil, lightly refined it, and re-exported it to India duty-free. That single arbitrage cut the import-to-export ratio from 10.4 : 1 down to 6.5 : 1.

Measure	FY 2080/81 (2023/24)	FY 2081/82 (2024/25)	Change
Total exports	Rs 152.38 bn	Rs 277.03 bn	+81.8%
Total imports	Rs 1.59 trillion	Rs 1.80 trillion	+13.3%
Trade deficit	Rs 1.44 trillion	Rs 1.53 trillion	+6.0%
Total trade	Rs 1.75 trillion	Rs 2.08 trillion	+19.2%
Import : export ratio	10.45 : 1	6.51 : 1	improved

157 partner countries · DoC granular data

Every country Nepal trades with

Two neighbours dominate: India alone takes roughly two-thirds of total trade, while China is a distant second, almost entirely as a source of imports. Distant markets, Argentina, Ukraine, Indonesia, Malaysia, matter mostly as suppliers of the crude edible oil Nepal refines and re-exports. Sort the table by exports, imports, balance or the import-to-export ratio.

Top partners by total trade, Rs bn

IndiaRs 807.51 bn

ChinaRs 218.88 bn

United StatesRs 27.01 bn

United Arab EmiratesRs 22.44 bn

UkraineRs 14.91 bn

MalaysiaRs 14.53 bn

FranceRs 12.07 bn

AustraliaRs 11.68 bn

Where Nepal's exports go, Rs bn

IndiaRs 77.86 bn

United StatesRs 12.5 bn

GermanyRs 3.25 bn

United KingdomRs 2.35 bn

ChinaRs 2.11 bn

United Arab EmiratesRs 1.96 bn

FranceRs 1.54 bn

AustraliaRs 1.31 bn

Every trading partner, ranked

Values in NPR, T = trillion, B = billion, M = million, K = thousand · negative balance = trade deficit with that country

#	Country
1	India	77.9B	729.7B	−651.8B	9.4:1	807.5B
2	China	2.1B	216.8B	−214.7B	103:1	218.9B
3	United States	12.5B	14.5B	−2B	1.2:1	27B
4	United Arab Emirates	2B	20.5B	−18.5B	10.5:1	22.4B
5	Ukraine	419K	14.9B	−14.9B	35582:1	14.9B
6	Malaysia	186M	14.3B	−14.2B	77.3:1	14.5B
7	France	1.5B	10.5B	−9B	6.8:1	12.1B
8	Australia	1.3B	10.4B	−9.1B	7.9:1	11.7B
9	Indonesia	178M	8.8B	−8.6B	49.6:1	9B
10	Germany	3.3B	5.6B	−2.4B	1.7:1	8.9B
11	Argentina	1.4M	8.6B	−8.6B	6320:1	8.6B
12	United Kingdom	2.4B	6.1B	−3.8B	2.6:1	8.5B
13	Canada	1B	7.2B	−6.1B	6.9:1	8.2B
14	Thailand	82M	6.4B	−6.3B	77.7:1	6.5B
15	Japan	1.1B	5.3B	−4.1B	4.7:1	6.4B
16	Saudi Arabia	20M	5.6B	−5.6B	276:1	5.6B
17	Taiwan	121M	5.4B	−5.3B	44.7:1	5.5B
18	Oman	6.2M	5.3B	−5.3B	852:1	5.3B
19	South Korea	239M	5B	−4.7B	20.7:1	5.2B
20	Singapore	275M	4.5B	−4.2B	16.5:1	4.8B
21	Vietnam	63M	4B	−4B	63.5:1	4.1B
22	Turkey	791M	3.1B	−2.3B	3.9:1	3.9B
23	Belgium	345M	3.4B	−3B	9.8:1	3.7B
24	Brunei Darussalam	0	3.5B	−3.5B	∞	3.5B
25	Bangladesh	180M	3.2B	−3B	17.8:1	3.4B
26	Brazil	57M	3.3B	−3.3B	58.2:1	3.4B
27	Italy	990M	2B	−969M	2.0:1	2.9B
28	Hong Kong	395M	2.5B	−2.1B	6.4:1	2.9B
29	Russian Federation	187M	2.6B	−2.4B	14.0:1	2.8B
30	South Africa	106M	2.6B	−2.5B	24.6:1	2.7B
31	Netherlands	612M	2B	−1.4B	3.3:1	2.6B
32	Morocco	5.7M	2.5B	−2.5B	436:1	2.5B
33	Turkmenistan	0	1.8B	−1.8B	∞	1.8B
34	Switzerland	438M	1.3B	−840M	2.9:1	1.7B
35	Qatar	92M	1.5B	−1.4B	16.7:1	1.6B
36	New Zealand	91M	1.5B	−1.4B	16.6:1	1.6B
37	Poland	175M	1.4B	−1.2B	7.9:1	1.6B
38	Myanmar	5.6M	1.5B	−1.5B	263:1	1.5B
39	Guatemala	558K	1.4B	−1.4B	2512:1	1.4B
40	Bhutan	454M	921M	−467M	2.0:1	1.4B
41	Israel	33M	1.1B	−1.1B	34.4:1	1.2B
42	Spain	299M	793M	−494M	2.7:1	1.1B
43	Sweden	182M	906M	−724M	5.0:1	1.1B
44	Nigeria	8.4M	1B	−999M	119:1	1B
45	Denmark	678M	288M	+391M	0.4:1	966M
46	Iraq	852K	752M	−751M	882:1	753M
47	Austria	249M	432M	−183M	1.7:1	681M
48	Tanzania	2.7M	665M	−663M	244:1	668M
49	Ireland	82M	499M	−416M	6.0:1	581M
50	Philippines	10M	528M	−518M	52.7:1	538M
51	Pakistan	28M	486M	−457M	17.3:1	514M
52	Mexico	37M	447M	−411M	12.2:1	484M
53	Czech Republic	147M	320M	−173M	2.2:1	468M
54	Paraguay	341K	460M	−459M	1348:1	460M
55	Moldova	19K	391M	−391M	20566:1	391M
56	Togo	0	344M	−344M	∞	344M
57	Bulgaria	3.9M	292M	−288M	75.4:1	296M
58	Sri Lanka	23M	189M	−166M	8.1:1	212M
59	Afghanistan	193M	12M	+181M	0.1:1	204M
60	Kenya	38M	165M	−128M	4.4:1	203M
61	Kuwait	29M	163M	−134M	5.6:1	192M
62	Mozambique	410K	183M	−183M	446:1	183M
63	Ethiopia	6K	164M	−164M	27404:1	164M
64	Bahrain	15M	148M	−133M	10.0:1	163M
65	Hungary	58M	103M	−45M	1.8:1	161M
66	Burkina Faso	0	154M	−154M	∞	154M
67	Norway	128M	20M	+108M	0.2:1	148M
68	Mongolia	2.5M	141M	−138M	56.0:1	144M
69	Chile	11M	131M	−121M	12.5:1	142M
70	Finland	45M	71M	−26M	1.6:1	116M
71	Cambodia	48M	63M	−15M	1.3:1	112M
72	Egypt	6K	111M	−111M	18549:1	111M
73	Slovenia	34M	68M	−34M	2.0:1	101M
74	Romania	12M	89M	−76M	7.2:1	101M
75	Eswatini	0	100M	−100M	∞	100M
76	Portugal	32M	66M	−35M	2.1:1	98M
77	Madagascar	132K	97M	−97M	733:1	97M
78	Greece	19M	65M	−46M	3.4:1	84M
79	Latvia	50M	21M	+29M	0.4:1	70M
80	Lithuania	16M	43M	−27M	2.7:1	58M
81	Uganda	9M	45M	−36M	5.0:1	54M
82	Slovakia	20M	30M	−11M	1.5:1	50M
83	Gabon	0	50M	−50M	∞	50M
84	Puerto Rico	76K	50M	−50M	654:1	50M
85	Venezuela	4.6M	41M	−37M	8.9:1	46M
86	Benin	0	44M	−44M	∞	44M
87	Costa Rica	1.2M	40M	−39M	33.0:1	41M
88	Ghana	0	40M	−40M	∞	40M
89	Sudan	35M	460K	+34M	0.0:1	35M
90	Jordan	13K	35M	−35M	2675:1	35M
91	Dominican Republic	13K	34M	−34M	2637:1	34M
92	Luxembourg	1.9M	30M	−28M	15.4:1	32M
93	Mauritania	31M	234K	+31M	0.0:1	31M
94	Peru	721K	27M	−26M	37.5:1	28M
95	Belarus	0	27M	−27M	∞	27M
96	Mauritius	22M	5M	+17M	0.2:1	27M
97	Serbia	0	26M	−26M	∞	26M
98	Maldives	24M	720K	+23M	0.0:1	25M
99	New Caledonia	24M	0	+24M	0.0:1	24M
100	Kazakhstan	9.3M	14M	−4.6M	1.5:1	23M
101	Iran	4.1M	19M	−15M	4.6:1	23M
102	Croatia	13M	6.7M	+6.6M	0.5:1	20M
103	Estonia	7M	11M	−4.3M	1.6:1	18M
104	Iceland	16M	180K	+15M	0.0:1	16M
105	Cyprus	2.9M	11M	−7.8M	3.7:1	14M
106	Malawi	0	9.6M	−9.6M	∞	9.6M
107	Lebanon	4.7M	4.7M	+3K	1.0:1	9.4M
108	Malta	7.8M	1.7M	+6.1M	0.2:1	9.4M
109	Fiji	8.8M	2K	+8.8M	0.0:1	8.8M
110	Laos	79K	8.2M	−8.1M	104:1	8.3M
111	Uzbekistan	19K	8.2M	−8.2M	432:1	8.2M
112	Georgia	6.1M	185K	+5.9M	0.0:1	6.3M
113	Monaco	2M	4.1M	−2M	2.0:1	6.1M
114	Nicaragua	0	5.5M	−5.5M	∞	5.5M
115	Chad	4.8M	0	+4.8M	0.0:1	4.8M
116	Cayman Islands	4.1M	0	+4.1M	0.0:1	4.1M
117	Algeria	0	3.8M	−3.8M	∞	3.8M
118	Dominica	3.8M	0	+3.8M	0.0:1	3.8M
119	Liberia	3.8M	11K	+3.7M	0.0:1	3.8M
120	Seychelles	3.7M	13K	+3.7M	0.0:1	3.7M
121	Tunisia	0	3.4M	−3.4M	∞	3.4M
122	Congo	785K	2.3M	−1.6M	3.0:1	3.1M
123	El Salvador	0	3M	−3M	∞	3M
124	Namibia	1.1M	1.4M	−322K	1.3:1	2.6M
125	Aruba	2.5M	11K	+2.5M	0.0:1	2.5M
126	Mali	39K	2.4M	−2.4M	61.8:1	2.4M
127	Liechtenstein	0	2.4M	−2.4M	∞	2.4M
128	Colombia	1.8M	334K	+1.5M	0.2:1	2.1M
129	Andorra	95K	1.8M	−1.7M	18.5:1	1.8M
130	Trinidad and Tobago	0	1.8M	−1.8M	∞	1.8M
131	North Macedonia	609K	935K	−326K	1.5:1	1.5M
132	Bahamas	1.2M	1K	+1.2M	0.0:1	1.2M
133	Suriname	0	1.2M	−1.2M	∞	1.2M
134	Papua New Guinea	1M	104K	+917K	0.1:1	1.1M
135	Bosnia and Herzegovina	298K	760K	−462K	2.6:1	1.1M
136	Uruguay	1M	6K	+1M	0.0:1	1M
137	Bermuda	1M	0	+1M	0.0:1	1M
138	Marshall Islands	0	1M	−1M	∞	1M
139	Tokelau	0	975K	−975K	∞	975K
140	Panama	590K	216K	+374K	0.4:1	806K
141	Kyrgyzstan	792K	0	+792K	0.0:1	792K
142	Montenegro	764K	0	+764K	0.0:1	764K
143	Turks and Caicos Islands	0	748K	−748K	∞	748K
144	Azerbaijan	0	691K	−691K	∞	691K
145	Cameroon	0	688K	−688K	∞	688K
146	Vanuatu	0	664K	−664K	∞	664K
147	Bolivia	56K	536K	−480K	9.6:1	592K
148	Ecuador	0	427K	−427K	∞	427K
149	Pitcairn	0	337K	−337K	∞	337K
150	Sierra Leone	269K	58K	+211K	0.2:1	327K
151	Wallis and Futuna Islands	0	273K	−273K	∞	273K
152	Senegal	132K	116K	+16K	0.9:1	248K
153	Armenia	0	243K	−243K	∞	243K
154	Antigua and Barbuda	236K	0	+236K	0.0:1	236K
155	Honduras	0	219K	−219K	∞	219K
156	Barbados	0	212K	−212K	∞	212K
157	Rwanda	0	136K	−136K	∞	136K

Period note: Department of Customs, first nine months (Shrawan–Chaitra) of FY 2080/81 (mid-July 2023 to mid-April 2024). This is the most granular all-country dataset published; full-year FY 2081/82 country detail is not yet released in machine-readable form.

What crosses the border

The goods Nepal buys and sells

Nepal's import bill is led by energy and high-value goods, petroleum products, vehicles, machinery and gold. Its exports are narrow: refined edible oils (re-exported to India), woollen carpets, readymade garments, jute goods, tea and cardamom.

Top exports

Two refined edible oils alone were ~43% of all exports.

Refined soybean oilRs 106.79 bn

≈510 million kg, refined and re-exported to India duty-free

Sunflower / safflower oilRs 12.33 bn

≈53 million kg, also largely re-exported

All other exportsRs 157.91 bn

Derived: total exports minus the two refined oils. A long tail of woollen carpets (to the USA), readymade garments, jute goods, polyester yarn, tea and cardamom, none individually dominant.

Top imports

Petroleum productsRs 261.2 bn

Diesel, petrol, LPG, the single largest import group (~16%)

Crude edible oilsRs 144.79 bn

Crude soybean, palm & sunflower, feedstock for refined-oil re-export

Transport equipment & partsRs 86.6 bn

Vehicles and spare parts

Other machinery & partsRs 74.4 bn

Sponge / MS billet ironRs 45.7 bn

Steel-making feedstock

Rice & paddyRs 38.5 bn

Staple food import despite a farming economy

GoldRs 19.8 bn

Declined year-on-year

ElectricityRs 11 bn

Seasonal imports from India

Amarnepal's independent read

What the trade numbers really tell us

Remittance-funded imports

Exports cover only a fraction of imports. The deficit is sustainable today only because remittances from Nepalis abroad bring in the foreign currency that pays for the goods.

Exports are an illusion of oil

A large slice of recorded 'exports' is refined soybean and palm oil, crude oil imported duty-free, processed, and re-exported to India under preferential rules. Remove it and the real export base is tiny.

Dangerous concentration

With India taking roughly two-thirds of trade, Nepal's external sector is hostage to one neighbour's policy, as the 2015 border blockade showed.

The deficit also shapes fiscal policy: customs duty on this huge import bill is one of the largest single sources of government revenue in the federal budget for FY 2083/84. Broadening the narrow export base, meanwhile, starts with formalising businesses, see our guide to registering a company in Nepal.

How we source our data →

Nepal foreign trade FAQ

How many countries does Nepal trade with?+

Nepal records merchandise trade with more than 160 countries and territories. This page lists all 157 partners from the Department of Customs dataset, with India and China together making up the overwhelming majority of total trade.

What is Nepal's import-to-export ratio?+

For every Rs 1 of goods Nepal exported in FY 2081/82, it imported roughly Rs 6.5, exports cover only about 15% of the import bill.

Which country is Nepal's biggest trading partner?+

India is by far Nepal's largest trading partner, accounting for the single biggest share of both imports and exports.

Sources & data note

Figures are for Nepal FY 2081/82 (mid-July 2024 to mid-July 2025), full year. Trade values are recorded in Nepali rupees by the Department of Customs at the point of clearance. Totals and country/commodity breakdowns are cross-checked against Nepal Rastra Bank's macroeconomic report and the Trade and Export Promotion Centre. The interpretive commentary is Amarnepal's own, independent of any government body.