Trade of NTIS products up

Kathmandu, July 21

Export of products listed under Nepal Trade Integration Strategy (NTIS) witnessed an increment of 10 per cent in the first 11 months of fiscal 2017-18, as per Trade and Export Promotion Centre (TEPC).

The country has listed various products and services that have a niche market advantage under NTIS. The government has been providing support for the development of products and services listed under the NTIS.

The NTIS (2016-20) has identified some agro-forestry-based products and locally manufactured products, namely, tea, cardamom, ginger, medicinal and aromatic plants, carpets, leather products, pashmina, footwear and textiles as having competitive advantage.

Similarly, semi-skilled and skilled professional services, information technology and business process outsourcing and tourism (including health, education, business and leisure) have been prioritised as services with comparative and competitive advantage.

Export of products listed under NTIS stood at Rs 32.9 billion in the first 11 months of fiscal year 2017-18, compared to Rs 29.85 billion in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal. Among the aforementioned products, export of footwear, pashmina and carpets, however, plummeted in the review period.

The country exported cardamom worth Rs 4.61 billion, ginger (Rs 680.5 million), tea (Rs 2.91 billion), and medicinal and

aromatic plants (Rs 992 million) in the first 11 months of fiscal 2017-18. In the review period, textiles worth Rs 13.16 billion, leather (Rs 776 million), footwear (Rs 1.06 billion), pashmina (Rs 2.27 billion) and carpets (Rs 6.44 billion) were exported.