Nepal tea exports to India resume after New Delhi eases import rules

Nepal's tea exports to India have resumed after a two-month gap after New Delhi eased import regulations, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said on Wednesday. The move follows a review of India's policy on tea imports from Nepal, allowing consignments to start moving again from Tuesday.

The export of Nepalese tea to India had stopped from May 1 after the Indian Tea Board brought in stricter rules for imports. India is the main market for tea produced in Nepal, and the disruption had forced tea manufacturers in the country to stop production for about two months.

Informing the National Assembly, Khanal said the export of Nepalese tea to India had now been eased. He said India reviewed its policy on tea imports from Nepal, making the resumption possible, and added that he had also discussed the issue with senior officials during his recent visit to India.

"Export of Nepalese tea to India resumed from Tuesday, June 30, after India eased the regulation (to import Nepalese tea)," said Kamal Mainali, president of the Nepal Tea Association. He said trucks carrying Nepalese tea consignments had started heading towards India after the change.

Under the revised arrangement, Indian authorities will now test samples from 20 per cent of the tea being exported from Nepal, instead of carrying out sampling tests on 100 per cent of consignments. Mainali said this means samples will be taken from only one out of five trucks before export permits are issued, and consignments will be allowed if they meet the required standard.

Nepal had taken diplomatic steps to seek a relaxation of the rules. According to the e-Kantipur media portal, Nepal sends about 90 per cent of its orthodox tea exports to India. "Only a very small portion of Nepali tea reaches third-country markets. Nepal produces 7,838 tonnes of orthodox tea annually. Exports to third countries account for only 11.4 per cent of total orthodox tea exports," the portal said in a report after exports were blocked.

The resumption ends a two-month halt that began after stricter Indian import rules came into force, with Nepal's tea shipments to its main market now moving again under a reduced sampling system.

With PTI Inputs