KATHMANDU: Foreign trade, which had been sluggish due to low economic activity during the COVID-19 pandemic, showed improvement in the fiscal year 2024/25.

According to the Department of Customs, goods and services worth Rs 18.412 trillion were imported, marking a 13.25% increase compared to Rs 16.267 trillion in FY 2024/25.

As imports surged, the trade deficit also widened. The Department of Customs reports a trade deficit of Rs 1.527 trillion in FY 2024/25, a 6% increase over the previous year’s Rs 1.44 trillion deficit.

The department further noted that goods imports rose by Rs 211.3 billion compared to the prior year, with imports totaling Rs 15.9298 trillion in FY 2023/24.

On the export front, there was significant growth.

Goods exports in FY 2024/25 reached Rs 2.77 trillion, up sharply from Rs 1.52 trillion in FY 2023/24—an increase of Rs 1.24 trillion or 81.8% within a year.