Imports of masks to Nepal have declined in the current fiscal year as the corona virus (Covid-19) pandemic is under control. However, the volume of mask imports is not small.
The country has imported masks worth Rs 1.22 billion in the first 11 months of the current fiscal year.
According to the customs department, 149.76 million masks have entered the country during this period. The government has collected revenue of Rs. 85.2 million from this.
Mask imports are lower than the same period last year. In the first 11 months of last year, 24.29 million masks worth Rs 2.47 billion were imported.
In the first 11 months of the current fiscal year, Nepal has exported 1.189 million pieces of masks. About 1 million 81 thousand worth of masks have been exported. In Mask alone, Nepal’s trade deficit is more than 1.22 billion.
During the same period last year, the country exported 1.191 million masks worth Rs 42.1 million.
Despite the onset of the Corona epidemic, the import of masks into Nepal had skyrocketed. The data of the customs department shows that the import of masks from abroad did not happen as expected even though the production of masks started in Nepal.
Masks are imported to Nepal from China, India, South Korea, Bangladesh, USA, UK, Thailand, Switzerland and other countries.
In a period of 11 months this year, 21 face mask producing machines have entered Nepal. Machines worth Rs 32.43 million have been imported.
