Nepal urges China to Ease Customs Procedures for Agricultural Exports

Nepal has urged China to adopt flexible customs procedures to facilitate the export of agricultural goods, including buffalo meat, dairy products, vegetables, fruits, and herbs.

Nepal made the request during a bilateral meeting between senior officials of China’s General Administration of Customs and Nepal’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development in Kathmandu. The meeting was led by Agriculture and Livestock Development Minister Ram Nath Adhikari from Nepal and Vice Minister Wang Lingjun from China.

Nepal emphasized the export of thermally processed buffalo meat and cartilage, along with dairy products such as ghee, butter, cheese, and chhurpi (hardened cheese). It also sought approval for exporting silage and haylage animal feed. Similarly, Nepal expressed readiness to export chicken meat and feet, vegetables, citrus fruits, tea, coffee, and medicinal herbs, requesting further facilitation from China.

Read: Export of Citrus Fruits to China remains Stalled

Currently, Nepal exports 34 types of agricultural goods to China through 61 companies, while five companies are exporting green fodder (haylage). Nepal has also proposed silage exports to China.

Vice Minister Wang said China attaches high importance to agricultural imports from Nepal, despite receiving similar proposals from more than 100 countries. “As a close neighbor, we value Nepal and are committed to advancing efforts together. Trade facilitation cannot be achieved through unilateral moves alone, but with joint efforts, it is neither difficult nor complicated. We are ready to cooperate,” he said.

Minister Adhikari highlighted Nepal’s ongoing efforts to meet China’s quarantine standards for meat exports, including the process of declaring certain zones as foot-and-mouth disease-free. He also requested flexibility in quarantine requirements for citrus fruits exports.

The meeting reached an agreement to establish a joint mechanism to facilitate Nepal’s agricultural exports. From Nepal, secretaries Dr. Govinda Prasad Sharma and Dr. Deepak Kumar Kharal, along with joint secretaries of the ministry, attended the meeting. The Chinese delegation included senior officials from the General Administration of Customs. -- RSS