Birgunj, July 31

The country’s major border point Birgunj saw substantial fall in the import and export of goods and commodities last fiscal year.

The drop in export and import started with the six-month long Tarai agitation launched by Madhesi parties and blockade at the Nepal-India border points.

According to Birgunj Customs Office, the transaction of major commodity being traded via the Birgunj border point fell significantly.

Sewantak Pokhrel, customs officer said that import of 10 goods kept in the list of export-import had fallen. The customs office witnessed a sharp drop in the transaction of goods last fiscal. “General strike and blockade hit import and export via the border point very heavily,” Pokhrel said.

The import of vehicles that occupies first place among imported goods has seen a heavy fall. As many as 5,171 vehicles,

including jeep, cars, and vans were imported last fiscal against 11,698 vehicles imported the previous year. The import of two-wheelers has fallen too.

A total of 109,435 two-wheelers were imported the previous year while the number declined to 70,518 last year.

Similarly, as many as 4,184 trucks and chassis were imported via the border point last year while the number stood at 4,776 the year before that.

The import of diesel, petrol and cooking gas too dropped last year compared to the year before that.

Likewise, customs office said that export of many goods including iron pipes, clothes, feed, woolen carpet, ready-made textiles from Nepal dropped substantially.