Export from Nepal to India continues to grow soybean oil

In the first quarter of the 2025-2026 fiscal year, Nepal continued to demonstrate an impressive surge in exports. According to the Ministry of Commerce, exports to India, the country’s main trading partner, increased by a record 137.9%. While last year’s exports totaled 24.85 billion Nepalese rupees in the first three months, this year they have already reached 59.12 billion, Lines Live reports. The main contributor to this surge was trade in processed vegetable oil. Soybean oil led the way, reaching 30.69 billion rupees in exports, accounting for more than half of all exports to India. Sunflower oil (2.13 billion rupees) and palm oil (1.73 billion rupees) also showed significant growth, despite their minimal exports last year. This breakthrough was made possible by the duty-free trade regime within the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA). While India imposes high tariffs on imported vegetable oils from other countries (up to 35.75% for refined oils), Nepalese goods enjoy ...