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Business

Overview

Message from the Ambassador

The United States Embassy welcomes you to the business page of our website! With the end of Nepal’s civil conflict and increasingly, political stability, we believe there are significant opportunities for U.S. businesses to trade with and invest in Nepal. U.S. companies are already successfully working in Nepal, and the number is growing. Many sectors offer opportunities for U.S. companies, including hydropower, solar energy, infrastructure, agribusiness, information technology, tourism, and civil aviation to name just a few.

We stand ready to help U.S. companies export goods and services to Nepal, and identify investment opportunities. This page includes detailed information about Nepal’s business climate. The Government of Nepal is current reviewing many of its trade and investment policies, so we would encourage you to revisit this site – and the links provided – to obtain additional information. The Embassy officers noted or of on this page are also happy to provide information to assist your company.

Thank you again for your interest, and we look forward to helping you do business in Nepal!

Nepal is small, but a potential market for US exports of goods and services, government supplies, and investment into various infrastructure sectors.  However, there are challenges in doing business in Nepal.  The decision making process by the government, the banking system, the foreign exchange regime, and labor issues often pose greater challenges to foreign exporters and investors.  The Economic/Commercial Office of the US Embassy, Kathmandu helps US businesses with any information on doing business and investment in Nepal.  US businesses are always urged to contact the Econ./Com. officers in the Embassy before they launch on their business project in Nepal.  The Investment Climate Statement and the Country Commercial Guide, Nepal, annually updated by the US Embassy, Kathmandu, are great sources of key and useful business related information.  Both these documents are available online on the business page of the US Embassy, Kathmandu.

Use of a local business attorney is advisable to help navigate through, the often cumbersome, bureaucratic and legal process of setting up a business, and investing or signing contracts with government or private business entity in Nepal.  A strong local partner is also important and useful for US businesses new to Nepal’s market, in some cases mandatory.

In early 2018, Embassy Kathmandu became a “Partner Post” of the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) in New Delhi. A number of business services/programs, some fee-based, are provided under this Partner Post arrangement, including connecting U.S. businesses to local companies of interest. Requests for these services can be directed to one of our U.S. Export Assistance Centers (www.export.gov/usoffices) or to the FCS New Delhi office (email:office.newdelhi@trade.gov.
web: https://2016.export.gov/india/contactus/index.asp)

Nepali Export Guide (PDF 1MB)
Country Commercial Guide (CCG)

International Trade Administration

Economic Data and Reports