KATHMANDU, April 25: Nepal’s import volume of diesel surged last month despite a massive increase in price of the petroleum product amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East region.
The records with the Department of Customs (DoC) show that Nepal imported 138,585 kiloliter of diesel in a month between mid-March and mid-April. The amount was around 26,000 kl more than the monthly average consumption of 112,056 kl as of the eighth month of the current fiscal year (FY).
According to the DoC, the import of diesel as of mid-March this year was 896,448 kl. In nine months, the total import volume reached 1,035,033 kl.
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During the review month, the diesel price soared by Rs 70 per liter in the domestic market. As per the record of Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC), diesel cost Rs 167 per liter by mid-March, which rose to Rs 237 per liter when it came to ninth month end.
With the surge in price, the country’s import expense on the heading also inclined by a notable amount. According to the DoC, the import value escalated more than double-- from Rs 10.21 billion to Rs 21.20 billion.
Meanwhile, the demand for petrol declined marginally last month after the price surge. The import volume of petrol stood at 56,459 kl last month. The monthly average consumption during mid-July 2025 and mid-March 2026 was 63,988 kl.
Despite a fall in petrol quantity, the country’s import expense on the product escalated during the review period. The money value of the imported petrol escalated to Rs 6.49 billion from monthly average of Rs 5.48 billion until the previous month.
The government collected revenue of Rs 42.51 million alone from diesel imports last month. Similarly, the revenue collection from petrol imports was Rs 32.31 million. The NOC claims of incurring a loss of Rs 99.16 per liter on diesel.
Citing soaring prices of petroleum and disruption in the global supply chain, the government has started practicing a two-day weekend since April 5, aiming to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. In 10 days of review month when the new rule came into force, the outcome did not appear impressive in line with the government’s objective, show the DoC’s statistics.
