Decline in tea exports from eastern border
JHAPA:- Exports of Nepali tea to India via the eastern border point of Kakarbhitta have declined. According to the Kakarbhitta Customs Office, both the volume and revenue from tea exports decreased in the last fiscal year (2082/83) compared to the preceding fiscal year (BS 2081/82).
Customs office data shows that 13,045 metric tonnes of tea, valued at Rs 3.529669 billion, were exported in the fiscal year 2082/83, whereas 15,311 metric tonnes, valued at Rs 4.169358 billion, were exported in the fiscal year 2081/82.
With the decline in export volume, export earnings have dropped by Rs 639.689 million. According to Chief Customs Administrator Shiva Lal Neupane, tea ranks second only to large cardamom among the goods exported through this border point. He explained that exports have been affected by factors such as price fluctuations in the Indian market—the primary destination for Nepali tea—non-tariff barriers encountered during quality inspections, and shifts in production and pricing driven by international market demand.
A significant portion of the CTC and Orthodox tea produced in Nepal reaches the Indian market via the eastern border point of Kakarbhitta. This decline in exports is expected to impact tea-producing farmers, industrialists, and the overall foreign trade deficit.
