Nepal’s export boom driven by edible oil re-exports raises trade manipulation concerns

72.71 percent rise in exports is fuelled by re-exports of imported soybean and sunflower oils to India, prompting scrutiny over compliance with SAFTA rules.

Nepal’s exports surged by 72.71 percent in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year ended mid-May. This dramatic increase was driven primarily by the re-export of edible oils—particularly soybean, sunflower, and palm oil—commodities that Nepal does not produce in sufficient quantities to even meet its domestic demand.