Summary
- Exports
- $1.2billion
- Imports
- $10.3billion
- Trade balance
- -$9.1billion
Products
What it exports
Soybean oil (7.5%) and knotted carpets (6.8%) together make up 14.3% of its exports.
What it imports
Refined petroleum (15%) and natural gas and LPG (3.9%) together make up 18.8% of its imports.
Its products
Destinations and sources of its products that have their own page.
By Harmonized System chapter (96)
| Chapter | Exports | Imports |
|---|---|---|
| 15 · Fats and oils | $156 million | $70 million |
| 09 · Coffee, tea and spices | $106 million | $66 million |
| 72 · Iron and steel | $101 million | $721 million |
| 57 · Carpets and rugs | $98 million | $6 million |
| 55 · Synthetic staple fibers | $92 million | $122 million |
| 44 · Wood | $74 million | $26 million |
| 22 · Beverages and spirits | $63 million | $16 million |
| 23 · Animal feed and food waste | $49 million | $169 million |
| 62 · Woven clothing | $47 million | $145 million |
| 63 · Home textiles and used clothing | $46 million | $29 million |
| 53 · Other plant fibers | $38 million | $15 million |
| 61 · Knitted clothing | $37 million | $167 million |
| 39 · Plastics | $33 million | $395 million |
| 25 · Salt, stone and cement | $26 million | $33 million |
| 14 · Other plant products | $26 million | $1 million |
| 19 · Baked goods and cereal products | $18 million | $54 million |
| 73 · Iron and steel products | $16 million | $155 million |
| 12 · Oilseeds and grains | $15 million | $155 million |
| 30 · Pharmaceuticals | $15 million | $297 million |
| 48 · Paper and paperboard | $13 million | $138 million |
| 38 · Miscellaneous chemicals | $13 million | $83 million |
| 64 · Footwear | $12 million | $62 million |
| 56 · Felt, nonwovens and rope | $12 million | $13 million |
| 33 · Perfumes and cosmetics | $11 million | $108 million |
| 83 · Miscellaneous metal goods | $10 million | $48 million |
| 95 · Toys and sports gear | $10 million | $34 million |
| 74 · Copper | $9 million | $38 million |
| 84 · Mechanical machinery | $8 million | $825 million |
| 78 · Lead | $8 million | $891 thousand |
| 65 · Hats | $6 million | $11 million |
| 42 · Leather goods and bags | $6 million | $25 million |
| 88 · Aircraft and spacecraft | $5 million | $92 million |
| 71 · Gems and precious metals | $5 million | $73 million |
| 92 · Musical instruments | $4 million | $3 million |
| 21 · Food preparations | $4 million | $82 million |
| 32 · Dyes, paints and tanning agents | $4 million | $48 million |
| 97 · Art and antiques | $4 million | $467 thousand |
| 85 · Electrical and electronic equipment | $3 million | $761 million |
| 07 · Vegetables | $3 million | $211 million |
| 94 · Furniture and lighting | $3 million | $96 million |
| 67 · Feathers and artificial flowers | $3 million | $4 million |
| 11 · Milling products and malt | $3 million | $19 million |
| 41 · Hides and leather | $3 million | $216 thousand |
| 70 · Glass | $3 million | $62 million |
| 20 · Preserved fruit and vegetables | $2 million | $16 million |
| 17 · Sugar and sweets | $2 million | $28 million |
| 05 · Other animal products | $2 million | $410 thousand |
| 90 · Precision and medical instruments | $2 million | $186 million |
| 76 · Aluminum | $1 million | $104 million |
| 26 · Ores and slag | $873 thousand | $8 million |
| 04 · Dairy, eggs and honey | $798 thousand | $4 million |
| 52 · Cotton | $699 thousand | $82 million |
| 47 · Wood pulp | $692 thousand | $2 million |
| 96 · Other manufactured goods | $690 thousand | $53 million |
| 51 · Wool | $682 thousand | $40 million |
| 24 · Tobacco | $625 thousand | $29 million |
| 69 · Ceramics | $543 thousand | $56 million |
| 54 · Synthetic filaments | $524 thousand | $84 million |
| 49 · Books and printed matter | $507 thousand | $42 million |
| 68 · Stone, plaster and cement articles | $493 thousand | $35 million |
| 13 · Gums and plant extracts | $473 thousand | $3 million |
| 87 · Vehicles | $466 thousand | $652 million |
| 82 · Tools and cutlery | $378 thousand | $27 million |
| 79 · Zinc | $347 thousand | $31 million |
| 10 · Cereals | $241 thousand | $317 million |
| 40 · Rubber | $240 thousand | $115 million |
| 59 · Coated and technical textiles | $235 thousand | $21 million |
| 29 · Organic chemicals | $230 thousand | $92 million |
| 46 · Wicker and basketware | $152 thousand | $45 thousand |
| 02 · Meat and offal | $131 thousand | $51 thousand |
| 58 · Special fabrics and lace | $128 thousand | $10 million |
| 08 · Fruit and nuts | $125 thousand | $153 million |
| 27 · Oil, gas and coal | $115 thousand | $2.2 billion |
| 93 · Weapons and ammunition | $93 thousand | $19 million |
| 06 · Live plants and flowers | $64 thousand | $662 thousand |
| 36 · Explosives and matches | $55 thousand | $6 million |
| 34 · Soap and cleaning products | $49 thousand | $55 million |
| 16 · Prepared meat and fish | $40 thousand | $1 million |
| 43 · Fur and fur goods | $39 thousand | $762 thousand |
| 60 · Knitted fabric | $33 thousand | $89 million |
| 28 · Inorganic chemicals | $23 thousand | $38 million |
| 86 · Railway equipment | $14 thousand | $208 thousand |
| 18 · Cocoa and chocolate | $11 thousand | $18 million |
| 50 · Silk | $10 thousand | $7 million |
| 75 · Nickel | $7 thousand | $185 thousand |
| 91 · Watches and clocks | $6 thousand | $13 million |
| 80 · Tin | $6 thousand | $1 million |
| 01 · Live animals | $3 thousand | $5 million |
| 35 · Glues, starches and enzymes | $2 thousand | $23 million |
| 66 · Umbrellas and canes | $720 | $6 million |
| 45 · Cork | $440 | $6 thousand |
| 37 · Photographic goods | $179 | $6 million |
| 89 · Ships and boats | $119 | $350 thousand |
| 31 · Fertilizers | $42 | $129 million |
| 03 · Fish and seafood | $0 | $8 million |
| 81 · Other base metals | $0 | $340 thousand |
Trading partners
India is its main destination (70% of exports) and source (67.5% of imports).
Who it sells to
| Partner | Value (USD millions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 868 | 70% | Land |
| United States | 126 | 10.1% | Sea |
| Germany | 35.2 | 2.8% | Sea |
| China | 27.4 | 2.2% | Land |
| France | 22 | 1.8% | Air |
| United Kingdom | 21.3 | 1.7% | Sea |
| Japan | 15.9 | 1.3% | Sea |
| Australia | 13 | 1.1% | Sea |
| Canada | 11.3 | 0.91% | Sea |
| Switzerland | 10.7 | 0.86% | Air |
Who it buys from
| Partner | Value (USD billions) | Share | Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 7 | 67.5% | Land |
| China | 2.2 | 21% | Land |
| Singapore | 0.24 | 2.4% | Air |
| Australia | 0.1 | 0.97% | Sea |
| United States | 0.09 | 0.91% | Sea |
| Hong Kong | 0.08 | 0.74% | Air |
| France | 0.06 | 0.6% | Air |
| Israel | 0.05 | 0.48% | Air |
| South Korea | 0.05 | 0.45% | Air |
| Thailand | 0.04 | 0.4% | Sea |
Overview 1995–2024
In 2024, Nepal accounted for 0.01% of world exports, compared with 0.01% in 1995.
Exports and imports
Exports grew 3.4-fold since 1995
USD billions (current). Bars: trade balance (green surplus, red deficit).
- Exports 1.2
- Imports 10.3
- Balance -9.1
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Exports | Imports | Trade balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $367 million | $709 million | -$342 million |
| 1996 | $405 million | $608 million | -$204 million |
| 1997 | $456 million | $613 million | -$156 million |
| 1998 | $544 million | $1.5 billion | -$909 million |
| 1999 | $664 million | $1.6 billion | -$984 million |
| 2000 | $835 million | $1.7 billion | -$843 million |
| 2001 | $727 million | $664 million | $62 million |
| 2002 | $564 million | $671 million | -$107 million |
| 2003 | $789 million | $1.9 billion | -$1.1 billion |
| 2004 | $679 million | $1.2 billion | -$554 million |
| 2005 | $682 million | $1.3 billion | -$611 million |
| 2006 | $614 million | $1.5 billion | -$844 million |
| 2007 | $770 million | $2.1 billion | -$1.3 billion |
| 2008 | $965 million | $2.6 billion | -$1.6 billion |
| 2009 | $868 million | $4 billion | -$3.1 billion |
| 2010 | $1 billion | $5.3 billion | -$4.3 billion |
| 2011 | $1 billion | $6.3 billion | -$5.3 billion |
| 2012 | $963 million | $6.8 billion | -$5.8 billion |
| 2013 | $970 million | $7.3 billion | -$6.3 billion |
| 2014 | $1.1 billion | $8.2 billion | -$7.1 billion |
| 2015 | $925 million | $7.1 billion | -$6.2 billion |
| 2016 | $923 million | $9.4 billion | -$8.5 billion |
| 2017 | $917 million | $10.6 billion | -$9.6 billion |
| 2018 | $967 million | $13.3 billion | -$12.3 billion |
| 2019 | $1.1 billion | $12.9 billion | -$11.7 billion |
| 2020 | $1 billion | $10 billion | -$9 billion |
| 2021 | $1.8 billion | $16 billion | -$14.2 billion |
| 2022 | $1.5 billion | $13.8 billion | -$12.3 billion |
| 2023 | $1.2 billion | $10.3 billion | -$9.1 billion |
| 2024 | $1.2 billion | $10.3 billion | -$9.1 billion |
World rank
Nepal fell from 137th to 151st among the world's exporters
Rank among 222 countries by export value (1st at the top).
- 137th in 1995
- 151st in 2024
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 137th |
| 1996 | 140th |
| 1997 | 140th |
| 1998 | 137th |
| 1999 | 132nd |
| 2000 | 132nd |
| 2001 | 136th |
| 2002 | 144th |
| 2003 | 140th |
| 2004 | 152nd |
| 2005 | 154th |
| 2006 | 161st |
| 2007 | 157th |
| 2008 | 156th |
| 2009 | 156th |
| 2010 | 154th |
| 2011 | 160th |
| 2012 | 160th |
| 2013 | 159th |
| 2014 | 158th |
| 2015 | 159th |
| 2016 | 161st |
| 2017 | 165th |
| 2018 | 161st |
| 2019 | 159th |
| 2020 | 157th |
| 2021 | 150th |
| 2022 | 153rd |
| 2023 | 157th |
| 2024 | 151st |
What it sells
Fats and oils became its top export group: from 0.6% to 13%
% of exports by Harmonized System chapter.
- Other 40%
- Animal feed and food waste 4%
- Beverages and spirits 5%
- Wood 6%
- Synthetic staple fibers 7%
- Carpets and rugs 8%
- Iron and steel 8%
- Coffee, tea and spices 9%
- Fats and oils 13%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Chapter | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Fats and oils | 0.61% | 12.6% |
| Coffee, tea and spices | 1.3% | 8.5% |
| Iron and steel | 0.06% | 8.2% |
| Carpets and rugs | 47.7% | 7.9% |
| Synthetic staple fibers | 1.3% | 7.4% |
| Wood | 0.09% | 6% |
| Beverages and spirits | 0% | 5.1% |
| Animal feed and food waste | 0.53% | 3.9% |
| Other | 48.3% | 40.4% |
Who it trades with
India went from 19% to 68% of Nepal's trade
% of total trade (exports + imports) with each partner.
- India 68%
- China 19%
- Singapore 2%
- United States 2%
- Australia 1%
Source: CEPII BACI
Show the numbers
| Partner | 1995 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| India | 19.2% | 67.8% |
| China | 5% | 19% |
| Singapore | 7.9% | 2.1% |
| United States | 10.9% | 1.9% |
| Australia | 0.35% | 0.98% |
Production hubs
Largest industrial emission sources (Climate TRACE, 2025)
No hubs above the globe threshold.
View on the globeSources and methodology
Sources and licenses
- CEPII BACI · Licence Ouverte Etalab 2.0
- Climate TRACE · CC BY 4.0 (emissions by asset; the 3 largest per country are shown)
- Kummu et al., gridded GDP · CC BY 4.0 (hubs aggregated by this site)
- Natural Earth · Public domain
Methodology
Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. Ranks are computed among the countries with data each year. Services are not included. Data up to 2024.