October 10: Nepali traders can leave the mark of their products in the United States and ‘Made in Nepal’ can be a powerful brand in America if the government of Nepal and private sector work together to enhance the trade between the two countries, said Alaina B Teplitz, US ambassador to Nepal,  on Tuesday.

Speaking at a workshop organized in Kathmandu, the US ambassador to Nepal also urged the government of Nepal to bring new policies which encourage and support the private sector to increase the production of the country, which will ultimately help to reduce the ballooning trade deficit.

The workshop entitled ‘Enhancing Nepal-US Trade by Utilizing Trade Preference Program’ was jointly organized by Pavilion Group and the US Embassy in Nepal. The workshop was organized with an aim to make entrepreneurs, traders, government officials and stakeholders aware about the benefits, opportunities and possibilities of Nepal Trade Preference Program (NTPP), under which the US government provides duty-free offer for 77 different commodities while importing goods from Nepal.

The goods which are in the duty-free list include carpets, shawls, hand luggage, travelling goods, among others. The program was introduced by the US government to help revive the economy of Nepal, which was struck by a massive earthquake back in 2015.

Despite the US being the second biggest importer of goods among the least developed countries (LDC), Nepal only managed to export goods worth $89 million to the US in 2016.

“Nepal has failed to take huge benefit from the program. The program was passed by the US government to work together on the economic prosperity of Nepal,” Teplitz said, adding that the private sector should also take initiative and work seriously to create new jobs and boost the production of the nation.

Nepal enjoys the benefits of NTTP till the end of 2025. Addressing the workshop, Teplitz asked the Nepali traders and entrepreneurs to hurry up and take huge benefit from the program, as it will end within the next eight years.

“There is a huge Nepali community in the US, and the local people there also love Nepali products, so both the country can benefit from the program,” she says.

Likewise, Arjun Kumar Karki, Nepali ambassador to the US, also accepted the fact that Nepal has failed to fully utilize the program. “This program passed by the US government can turn very fruitful for the entrepreneurs, if they focus on exporting the items which have duty-free access rather than demanding access for other expensive products. The trade generated from the program will surely help on poverty reduction and socio-economic development of Nepal,” he added.

The workshop was also attended by entrepreneurs, traders, government officials, and other officials of the US Embassy in Kathmandu.