Trade Facilitation Guide to Export Pashmina from Nepal launched

KATHMANDU: A comprehensive guide for Pashmina export was launched aiming to facilitate small-scale businesses in exporting Nepal’s Himalayan Chyangra Pashmina products to targeted major international destinations.

The ‘Trade Facilitation Guide to Export Pashmina from Nepal’ was jointly unveiled by Myriam Ferran, Deputy Director General, Directorate-General for International Partnerships (INTPA) of European Commission, and Ambassador of European Union to Nepal, Veronique Lorenzo, Baburam Adhikari, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, and Dhan Prasad Lamichhane, president of Nepal Pashmina Industries Association amid a function organized at the Nepal Pashmina Fibre Processing Facility in Lalitpur.

Also, Joint Secretary Adhikari, DDG Ferran and Ambassador Lorenzo jointly inaugurated the Fiber Processing Facility which was established with technical support from the EU-Nepal Trade and Investment Programme.

The plant has been processing fibre collected from Chyangra farmers and supplying it to Pashmina producers.

As part of the European Union’s broader support in strengthening the Pashmina value chain, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS) developed the guide with technical support from the EU-Nepal Trade and Investment Programme implemented by the International Trade Centre, the Embassy of the European Union in Kathmandu stated in a press release today.

This guide is specifically tailored for major international markets such as Japan, the European Union, the USA, and the UK, for enhancing the Nepal’s Pashmina export endeavors.

The guide elaborates step-by-step processes, encompassing firm registration, licensing, directives, customs, shipment, and logistics procedures. Moreover, it offers insights into the import requirements specified by destination countries, shedding light on tariffs, quality standards, shipping costs, timeframes, and the essential documents needed along with other crucial trade information.

Amidst the deficit of knowledge about international market and trade-related information among Nepal’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the newly unveiled guide is expected to serve as a crucial tool to assist the entrepreneurs in navigating the export-related formalities and procedures as well as quality requirements to make them more competitive on the global stage, it is stated.

Nepal’s Himalayan Chyangra Pashmina holds a distinguished position in the international market due to its unique quality and cultural significance. The ‘Nepal Trade Integration Strategy 2023’ has identified Chyangra Pashmina as a highly prioritized exportable product.

Similarly, the ‘Pashmina Sector Export National Strategy 2022-2026’ aims to elevate Pashmina exports to USD 75 million mark by 2026.

Speaking on the occasion, joint secretary Adhikari said, “Nepal’s Himalayan Chyangra Pashmina holds a distinguished position in the international market due to its unique quality and cultural significance. The government of Nepal has designated Pashmina as one of the high-priority exportable products. The guide launched today is poised to become a useful source of information about the process for Nepali Pashmina exports, offering comprehensive information about our destination markets.”

DDG Ferran said, “As a longstanding partner in Nepal’s development journey, the European Union reaffirms its unwavering dedication to bolstering Nepal’s prosperity through enhanced trade and investment avenues. This comprehensive guide serves as an instrument to support the Pashmina value chain to harness the immense potential of Nepal’s Chyangra Pashmian in the international market.”

Through a video message Ashis Shah, Director of Division of Country Programme of International Trade Centre said, “We are pleased to contribute to the development of this guide, recognizing its significance as an essential resource, particularly beneficial for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), in deepening their understanding of the export process and the quality standards required by destination countries”. He expressed that he was confident that this guide would prove instrumental for exporters, equipping them with the necessary tools to navigate the dynamic terrain of international markets effectively, thereby augmenting Nepal’s competitiveness in Pashmina exports.

Dhan Prasad Lamichhane, President, Nepal Pashmina Industries Association expressed that NPIA is grateful to EU-Nepal TIP and the Government of Nepal for producing this guide tailored for Pashmina entrepreneurs. They have full confidence that this guide will play a pivotal role in advancing the export of Nepal’s Chyangra Pashmina in crucial international markets.