Birgunj checkpoint records Rs. 506 billion in imports and Rs. 79 billion in exports

BIRGUNJ, JUNE 3: In the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, goods worth Rs. 506.67 billion entered Nepal through the Birgunj customs checkpoint. This marks a 12.75% increase, or an additional Rs. 57.30 billion—compared to the same period in the last fiscal year.

Petroleum products topped the list of imports, with five different categories totalling Rs. 155.94 billion. Crude soybean oil was the second-highest import, valued at Rs. 45.79 billion.

According to Deepak Lamichhane, Chief Customs Administrator at the Birgunj Customs Office, both imports and exports have seen notable growth during the review period of 2024/25. Machinery and spare parts worth Rs. 29.02 billion were imported, followed by iron and iron-based products worth Rs. 28.51 billion. Additionally, various allopathic medicines worth Rs. 23.85 billion entered the country through the same checkpoint.

Exports through the Birgunj customs point have shown even more remarkable growth.  From mid-July to mid-May this fiscal, Nepal exported goods worth Rs. 79.03 billion through the checkpoint—up from just Rs. 25.48 billion in the same period last fiscal year. This represents a staggering 210.16% increase, amounting to an additional Rs. 53.55 billion in export value.

Refined soybean oil was the leading export item. Nepal exported 219.25 million liters of refined soybean oil worth Rs. 46.53 billion during the review period in this fiscal year, compared to 94.64 million liters during the same period last year. Similarly, 35.22 million liters of refined sunflower oil worth Rs. 7.27 billion were exported, up from 10.53 million liters worth Rs. 1 billion.