October 28: Records maintained by the government show that import has been rising while export has been declining. A recent data of the first three months of the current fiscal year (FY) 2018/19 published by the Department of Customs shows that the total export value of the country stood at Rs 23.74 billion while the import of different commodities was Rs 374 billion.

According to the data, the total import during the review period was 43.5 percent higher than that in the corresponding period of the last FY. Imports stood at Rs 260 billion in the corresponding period of last FY.

Petroleum products were the highest among the imports accounting for Rs 77 billion followed by the import of metal and steel of Rs 40 billion, vehicles worth Rs 29 billion, machineries (Rs 28 billion), electric products (Rs 22 billion) and aircraft and aviation products (Rs 17 billion).

Birgunj Customs Point imported the highest amount of goods accounting for 34 percent of the total import, followed by Bhairahawa (17 percent), Tribhuvan International Airport Customs Office (14 percent), Biratnagar (12 percent) and Birgunj Dry Port (10 percent).

The data showed that the country imported the maximum goods and products worth Rs 236 billion from India which is 63 percent of the total import. After India, the country has been importing goods from China worth Rs 73 billion, United Arab Emirate (UAE) worth Rs 8 billion and from Thailand worth Rs 4 billion.

According to the records, Nepal exported raw thread worth Rs 2 billion. Likewise, it exported garment worth Rs 2.34 billion and readymade clothes worth Rs 1.90 billion. The data show that the country exported maximum products to India followed by the USA, the United Kingdom and Germany.