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The Nepal Trade Preference Program (NTPP) of the US government, which promised Nepali exporters rare, duty-free access to the US market, has expired, delivering far fewer benefits than many had hoped for.

The expiry of the NTPP on Wednesday midnight has ended duty-free access to the US market for 77 Nepali products. The US Congress passed a law in 2015 to support Nepal’s economic recovery following the devastating 2015 earthquakes. Under the law, products made in Nepal were allowed preferential access to the US market for a decade. The facility came into effect in early 2016.

The program covered a wide range of goods including textiles, ready-made garments, leather products, footwear, luggage, carpets, shawls, scarves, hats, handicrafts and travel goods, among others. 

However, Nepal failed to fully capitalize on the opportunity. According to the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, more than a dozen of the listed products were never exported to the US under the scheme. Other products were also exported in very small volumes.

According to the 2024 USTR Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the NTPP, total imports under the program were $3.9m and accounted for 2.9 percent of total US imports from Nepal in 2023. The largest import categories were container bags and boxes ($1.7m), handbags ($745,000), and hats and other headgear ($649,000). During the period, total US imports from Nepal totaled $134m.

Interestingly, Nepali exporters did not make a preference claim for export of 52 out of 77 products included in the list. “It might be that these goods did not meet the rule of origin, or it might be that the importer simply failed to file the claim for duty-free treatment,” the report states.

With the program’s expiry, all eligible products will now be subject to regular US customs duties. This is certain to affect the competitiveness of Nepali exports in the American market.

Analysts say Nepal failed to take much benefit from the program due to issues with product selection. They say the US government granted duty-free access mainly to handicraft products, shawls, travel materials and similar items. Since many of these products were already levied tariff in the US, the incentive did not make Nepali exports much more competitive.

Private sector representatives have long called for inclusion of high-potential products like ready-made garments and information technology services. The government even pushed for duty-free access for 30 additional goods and services. But it did not materialize. 

After the 7th Nepal–US Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council meeting held in Kathmandu in Sept 2024, Nepali officials said that the US delegation had agreed to advocate for extending the NTPP. The Nepali delegation was led by then ministry secretary Govinda Bahadur Karki, while the US side was led by Brendan Lynch, Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia. 

Both sides had planned to hold the 8th TIFA Council meeting in Washington in 2025. The meeting was expected to focus on labor rights, investment, digital trade and the possible extension of the NTPP. However, the meeting did not take place.

Exporters say high production costs, weak supply chains, limited scale, and compliance affected Nepal’s ability to benefit from the scheme. Poor trade facilitation and lack of export readiness further weakened outcomes, they added.

Hand-knotted carpets were among the few products that benefited meaningfully from the preferential access. Nepali carpets enjoyed zero-duty access to the US market under the program. However, the Donald Trump administration imposed a 10 percent duty on these products in April, even before the NTPP expired.

With the duty-free window now closed, exporters say Nepal risks losing whatever foothold it had built in the US market. They say the government should push for extension for the facility by including new high-value products.

The Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) has unveiled its annual calendar for 2026, outlining a packed schedule of international and domestic tournaments involving Nepal’s men’s and women’s teams. CAN made the calendar public during a press conference on Saturday.

According to the calendar, Nepal will host the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Global Qualifier in January, while the men’s national team is scheduled to play the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in February. A Women’s Premier Cup has also been proposed. In March, the men’s team will compete in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2, while the women’s team will play a bilateral series, and the U-19 team will tour Bhutan.

April will feature a series for Nepal ‘A’, along with series for the women’s team and the U-19 women’s side. In May, the men’s team will play League 2 matches followed by a T20I series, alongside series involving Nepal ‘A’ and the women’s team. The men’s team will continue with a T20I series in June, while the U-19 women’s team will tour Malaysia.

The calendar lists a League 2 series for the men’s team in July, along with the Women’s Asia Cup and the U-16 East Zone Cup. In August, Nepal will compete in the ACC Premier Cup and play a T20I series against Kuwait, with participation in the Top End series also planned. September will see bilateral series for both the men’s team and the women’s team, with the latter scheduled to play against the UAE.

In October, the men’s team will again feature in League 2, while the women’s team will play a tri-nation series. The Nepal Premier League (NPL) is scheduled for November, and both men’s and women’s international series are planned for December.

Nepal GoodWeave Foundation marked its anniversary by celebrating a collective birthday of children under its care at the transit home Hamro Ghar in Kathmandu on Wednesday. The children cut a cake together and received birthday gifts from GoodWeave and partner organizations.

Vice President of Nepal GoodWeave Foundation and President of the Nepal Carpet Manufacturers and Exporters Association, Balram Gurung, welcomed the participants. The program was chaired by Foundation President Yubaraj Bidrohi and attended by General Secretary Kiran Thapa, Treasurer Kalpana Timilsina, and guests including Working Women Journalists (WWJ) President Ramkala Khadka, Looniva President Rupa Munakarmi, among others.

Speaking as the chief guest, Deputy Mayor of Kageshwori Manohara Municipality Shanta Thapa said she was pleased to attend the event and acknowledged the foundation’s work in addressing child labor in the carpet industry and supporting children’s return to education. Foundation President Bidrohi said GoodWeave has been observing the collective birthday of children every year on January 1, noting that the initiative aims to promote a positive environment, emotional well-being, and social inclusion. He also encouraged the children to focus on positive actions in the New Year 2026.

Consortium Nepal President Pradeep Kumar Lamichhane said such collective celebrations could serve as a model for other child protection homes. The program also featured cultural performances by the children, and prizes were distributed to winners of sports, art, and other competitions organized by GoodWeave.

The Government of Nepal has extended its sincere gratitude to the Government of the State of Qatar for the Amiri Amnesty granted to the 13 Nepali inmates on the occasion of the National Day of the State of Qatar and the International Human Rights Day.

"The Ministry highly values the kind gesture of pardon granted on humanitarian ground as the manifestation of deepening friendship and cordiality in the existing bilateral relations between Nepal and the State of Qatar," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated in a press release on Thursday.

Daily life in western Tarai including Banke district has been affected due to dense fog and haze. 

Children, students, daily-wage workers, people from poor backgrounds, helpless and senior citizens have been affected the most due to the chilling cold.

People have been forced to confine themselves inside the house.

Driver Ram Prasad Tharu of Nepalgunj-16 said they have been facing problems to provide transport service due to thick fog and chilling cold.

Following the chilling cold, the number of people suffering from asthma, pneumonia, cold, cough and fever has increased in Bheri Hospital, said the Information Officer at the Hospital, Sanket Risal. 

More than 100 patients suffering from pneumonia, cold and cough visit the hospital every day in recent days, he mentioned.

Nepal welcomed a total of 1, 158, 459 foreign tourists in 2025, a slight increase than the previous year.

Altogether 1, 147, 548 visitors had visited Nepal in 2024, reported the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

The NTB broke down the numbers of foreign tourists visiting Nepal this year, according to which, Indian tourists constituted the highest number at 292,438 followed by Americans at 112,316.

Similarly, Nepal attracted 58,684 Chinese tourists last year while 57,545 tourists arrived in Nepal from the UK.

Likewise, altogether 49,357 visitors came to Nepal from Bangladesh, 37,550 from Australia, 30,243 from Sri Lanka, 30,227 from Thailand and 24,763 from Germany in 2025, said the Board.

In the last December month alone, 98,190 foreigners arrived in Nepal, stated the Board.

Earlier, as the NTB put it, the highest number of foreign tourists to enter Nepal was in 2019 with a whooping 1,197,191 tourists.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 2, 900 per tola in the domestic market on Friday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 262, 500 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 259, 600 per tola on Thursday.

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 4, 525 per tola today.

Nepali Congress General Secretaries Gagan Kumar Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma have cancelled the party’s regular 15th general convention, which was scheduled to begin in the last week of Poush. Issuing a joint statement on Thursday, the two leaders said the party’s immediate alternative is now to move toward a special general convention.

According to the statement, a meeting held on Mangsir 15 had decided that the schedule for the regular general convention would be approved by a subsequent meeting. However, the general secretaries said the convention has been postponed through the same notice as preparatory tasks and earlier schedules could not be revised and accelerated in line with the target of holding the regular convention on time. As a result, they said, the entire schedule was affected and rendered ineffective, creating confusion and uncertainty within the party.

The statement further notes that a special general convention has again emerged as the viable option. It says that the primary intention was to address the demand for a special convention—submitted to the central office with signatures of 54 percent of general convention representatives—through the regular convention. However, as it is no longer possible to hold the regular convention within the stipulated timeframe, the special general convention has become the alternative. In line with Article 17(2) of the party statute, the general secretaries said addressing the demand for a special general convention is the responsibility of the central office and that related processes will be taken forward, as far as possible, through consensus.