Nepal Revises Packaging Rules: Producers Allowed Flexible Pack Sizes with Unit Pricing

The government has introduced significant changes to packaging regulations, allowing producers and importers to sell goods in flexible pack sizes as long as unit prices are clearly disclosed. The amendment aims to provide greater transparency for consumers while offering businesses more flexibility in production and distribution.

The recently approved Standard Measurement and Weight (Packaged Commodities) Regulation, Second Amendment, 2025, removes the previous requirement that goods must be packed only in prescribed standard quantities. Instead, producers can now market sealed packages of any weight or volume, provided both the maximum retail price (MRP) and the unit sale price are displayed.

“Any product can now be produced and sold in packages of any size if the unit sale price is indicated,” said Rakesh Jha, head of the Nepal Bureau of Standards and Metrology (NBSM). “This system is also followed internationally, including in India, which has already moved from mandatory standard packages to unit pricing.” He noted that the change will ease challenges faced by domestic industries while ensuring consumer clarity.

Until now, producers and distributors were bound by the original Standard Measurement and Weight (Packaged Commodities) Regulation, 2019, which mandated fixed quantities for 24 specific goods ranging from baby food and sugar to various solid and liquid items. For instance, packages had to be made in specified weights from 25 grams to 10 kilograms, or in the case of cement, from 1 kilogram to 50 kilograms.

The amendment adds a new provision requiring unit prices alongside MRP. For items below one kilogram, the price must be indicated per gram, while for goods above one kilogram, per-kilogram pricing must be displayed. Similarly, goods below one liter must show per-milliliter pricing, and above one liter, per-liter pricing. For length-based goods, unit prices must be stated per centimeter or per meter depending on size.

Industry representatives had long argued that rigid standard packaging created difficulties in production and distribution. The new rule now enables businesses to package products according to consumer demand, while ensuring transparent pricing.

Jha explained that the measure will also prevent discrepancies when product prices change slightly. “For example, if a 50-gram pack was priced at Rs 10 but later increased to Rs 10.50, listing MRP alone would not clearly reflect the additional 50 paisa. With unit pricing, such adjustments become transparent and convenient for consumers,” he said.