US To Offer Nepal Greater Duty-Free Access

by Mike Godfrey, Tax-News.com, Washington

24 April 2017

The US-Nepal Trade and Investment Framework Council has proposed adding more products to the list of Nepalese products that may enter duty-free into the US.

Under the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, the United States has offered the country preferential trade treatment since April 15, 2011. Such treatment will be allowed until 2025.

Initially duty-free access was extended to leather articles (trunks, suitcases, vanity cases, attache cases, briefcases, school satchels and similar containers) and textile or apparel articles imported directly from Nepal, subject to a number of conditions set out in Section 915 of the law.

Certain Nepalese exports such as handicrafts, shawls, and travel goods were newly granted duty-free treatment from December 2016.

Following a meeting on April 20, the US Trade Representative said that the US government had taken note of the Nepalese request to extend this program and "pledged their commitment to deepen their engagement in these areas over the coming months."

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