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With the resumption of the Rasuwagadhi border checkpoint, the import of goods from neighbouring China has begun. 

According to the Border Security Post Rasuwagadhi, 18 electric vehicles (EV Micro-bus) entered Nepal from the Rasuwagadhi border checkpoint on Saturday.

These vehicles were imported for the first time in the current fiscal year and are currently in the parking area at Timure. The customs office has stated that the importers of these vehicles are working to pay the due revenue.

Similarly, on Saturday alone, 39 cargo containers carrying apples, ready-made clothes, garlic, vehicle spare parts, walnuts, batteries, and medical supplies entered Nepal.

Customs Office Spokesperson Thakur Gautam shared that since the reopening of the Rasuwagadhi border crossing last Thursday, 96 containers of goods have entered Nepal till Saturday and the inspection and clearance process for ready-made goods will begin from today. He said that perishable goods such as apples and walnuts are given priority for the customary inspection for clearance.

Meanwhile, the Office collected Rs 90.87 million in revenue in two days after the border crossing came back to regular operations.

The customs in the Nepal-China border point remained closed for a long time after the Miteri bridge connecting the two countries was washed away by the devastating floods in July last year. 

The Chinese side has constructed a bailey bridge to bring back the customs point into operation.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 2, 100 per tola in the domestic market on Sunday. . 

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 260, 400 per tola today.  It was traded at Rs 262, 500 per tola on Friday. 

Similarly, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 25 and is being traded at Rs 4, 4500 per tola.

Solar energy producer, Jhapa Energy, has sold power worth Rs 47.1 million to Nepal Electricity Authority in five months.

The company produced 6.52 million units of power during the period from Shrawan to mid-Mangsir of the fiscal year 2082/83 from its 10-megawatt solar power project based in Buluchowk, Ward No. 4, Shivasatakshi Municipality, according the chair of the company's board of directors, Lal Bahadur Sanwa Limbu,

The Nepal Electricity Authority purchases the power produced by Jhapa Energy at the rate of Rs 7.30 per unit. It has been producing electricity commercially since the past two years.

Jhapa Energy has established the project in an area of 22 bigaha of land in Buluchowk, where 21,600 solar panels have been installed. The solar power generated from the project is transported to the Nepal Electricity Authority's Buluchowk substation, located within a kilometer, and connected to the national power grid.

Jhapa Energy had generated solar power worth Rs 50 million and sold it to the NEA in the fiscal year 2080/81.

Chairman Limbu said that sales increased to Rs 90 million in the fiscal year 2081/82.

The Nepal Trade Preference Program (NTPP) of the US government, which promised Nepali exporters rare, duty-free access to the US market, has expired, delivering far fewer benefits than many had hoped for.

The expiry of the NTPP on Wednesday midnight has ended duty-free access to the US market for 77 Nepali products. The US Congress passed a law in 2015 to support Nepal’s economic recovery following the devastating 2015 earthquakes. Under the law, products made in Nepal were allowed preferential access to the US market for a decade. The facility came into effect in early 2016.

The program covered a wide range of goods including textiles, ready-made garments, leather products, footwear, luggage, carpets, shawls, scarves, hats, handicrafts and travel goods, among others. 

However, Nepal failed to fully capitalize on the opportunity. According to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, more than a dozen of the listed products were never exported to the US under the scheme. Other products were also exported in very small volumes.

According to the 2024 USTR Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the NTPP, total imports under the program were $3.9m and accounted for 2.9 percent of total US imports from Nepal in 2023. The largest import categories were container bags and boxes ($1.7m), handbags ($745,000), and hats and other headgear ($649,000). During the period, total US imports from Nepal totaled $134m.

Interestingly, Nepali exporters did not make a preference claim for export of 52 out of 77 products included in the list. “It might be that these goods did not meet the rule of origin, or it might be that the importer simply failed to file the claim for duty-free treatment,” the report states.

With the program’s expiry, all eligible products will now be subject to regular US customs duties. This is certain to affect the competitiveness of Nepali exports in the American market.

Analysts say Nepal failed to take much benefit from the program due to issues with product selection. They say the US government granted duty-free access mainly to handicraft products, shawls, travel materials and similar items. Since many of these products were already levied tariff in the US, the incentive did not make Nepali exports much more competitive.

Private sector representatives have long called for inclusion of high-potential products like ready-made garments and information technology services. The government even pushed for duty-free access for 30 additional goods and services. But it did not materialize. 

After the 7th Nepal–US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meeting held in Kathmandu in Sept 2024, Nepali officials said that the US delegation had agreed to advocate for extending the NTPP. The Nepali delegation was led by then ministry secretary Govinda Bahadur Karki, while the US side was led by Brendan Lynch, Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia. 

Both sides had planned to hold the 8th TIFA Council meeting in Washington in 2025. The meeting was expected to focus on labor rights, investment, digital trade and the possible extension of the NTPP. However, the meeting did not take place.

Exporters say high production costs, weak supply chains, limited scale, and compliance affected Nepal’s ability to benefit from the scheme. Poor trade facilitation and lack of export readiness further weakened outcomes, they added.

Hand-knotted carpets were among the few products that benefited meaningfully from the preferential access. Nepali carpets enjoyed zero-duty access to the US market under the program. However, the Donald Trump administration imposed a 10 percent duty on these products in April, even before the NTPP expired.

With the duty-free window now closed, exporters say Nepal risks losing whatever foothold it had built in the US market. They say the government should push for extension for the facility by including new high-value products.