Kathmandu. In the first six months of the current fiscal year, Nepal’s foreign trade increased by 31.04 percent while exports increased by 61.72 percent.

According to the data released by the Department of Customs on Friday, the trade deficit increased by 24.88 percent in the first month of the fiscal year 2083/84.

According to the Department of Customs, Nepal exported goods worth Rs 38.7 billion in the first six months of the current fiscal year. Such exports had reached Rs 23.93 billion in the first months of the last fiscal year. In this way, exports increased by Rs 14.77 billion in a year. However, the trade deficit has widened as imports have increased in size in the same period.

Nepal imported goods worth Rs 187.43 billion in the first six months of the current fiscal year. In the last fiscal year, imports were Rs 143.04 billion. This means that imports have increased by 31.04 percent.

The trade deficit has reached Rs 148.73 billion in the first six months of the current fiscal year. Such deficit was Rs. 119.10 billion in the same period of the previous year. The country’s trade deficit increased by Rs 29.62 billion or 24.88 per cent in the current fiscal year.