Kathmandu: The ban imposed on the export of certain Nepali goods to India has been lifted. This decision comes after India renewed the Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) Certificate for various goods, including cement, corrugated sheets, and plywood manufactured in Nepal.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Damodar Bhandari, engaged in discussions with his Indian counterpart, Piyush Goyal, during his visit to India a few months ago. Minister Bhandari focused on facilitating the export of Nepali goods to India and ensuring their sale and distribution in Indian markets.
The issue was extensively discussed during the Nepal-India Commerce Secretary-level meeting held on January 11 and 12. The Indian side committed to resolving the problems after Nepal prioritized the issue. India has made it mandatory to have BIS certification for the export of goods, such as cement, corrugated sheets, sanitary pads, and footwear.
The export of cement from Nepal to India had been halted for five months, while plywood exports stopped a month ago due to the non-renewal of the BIS. Entrepreneurs had pressured the Government of Nepal to address the renewal of the BIS.
Hom Prasad Ghimire, Chairperson of the Nepal Plywood Manufacturers Association, mentioned that exporting goods will be easier now that the BIS has been received. About a dozen industries have already renewed their BIS. Recently, thirty-four trucks carrying plywood from Nepal reached Kakdvitta but were stuck at the checkpoint due to the lack of BIS, he added.