July 4: Carpets worth around Rs 5 billion have been languishing in different warehouses due to problems in exporting the product. The country has been facing problems in exporting goods with the onset of the second wave of coronavirus.

Although there has been a rise in demand for carpets, the readymade products are being stockpiled in warehouses.

During the last fiscal year, carpets worth Rs 4 billion could not be exported due to the lockdown imposed by the government to curb the spread of the deadly disease. Carpet manufacturers say that they are facing similar problem this year too. They say that they increased production after receiving orders when the first wave of pandemic started receding. But when it was time to export the product, the second wave hit the country and the government subsequently imposed prohibitory order. Due to this reason, the  carpets produced have been stockpiled in warehouses, says Ram Bahadur Gurung, chairman of Nepal Carpet Producers and Exporters Association.

Gurung informed New Business Age that there is still good demand for Nepali carpet in the international market but the problem is exporting them to foreign countries amid the pandemic.

He further said that only 30 percent of carpet industries are currently operational due to the difficulty in exporting their products.

Carpets produced in Nepal are exported to more than 50 countries across the world including the USA, China, Germany, the UK, Italy, France, Canada, Belgium and Australia.

It is estimated that there are around 700 carpet industries in Nepal out of which 150 export carpets to foreign countries. The association informed that the livelihood of more than 350,000 workers are in danger as the existence of the carpet industry itself is in trouble.