Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The market is seeing a shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) despite a 23.34% increase in imports over the first three months of the current fiscal year.
According to the Department of Customs, LPG bottlers imported 171,984.87 tons of the cooking fuel worth Rs 23.18 billion between mid-July and mid-October in fiscal year 2026/27. In the same period last fiscal year, imports stood at 139,434.45 tons worth Rs 13.98 billion.
The rise in imports has yet to translate into a steady supply of filled cylinders in the domestic market, with consumers continuing to face difficulties obtaining cooking gas.
The market began experiencing supply shortages following global disruptions linked to Iran’s decision to close the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for international energy shipments. The disruption affected LPG supplies and prompted the government to introduce measures to manage available stocks.
In the last week of March, the government directed bottlers to supply half-filled cylinders instead of the regular 14.2-kilogram cylinders. Although the decision was expected to ease the supply situation in the market, it did not help much in addressing the shortage.
The government on July 14 reversed the decision and directed bottlers to supply the regular 14.2 kg cylinders in the market. It even attempted to distribute LPG cylinders through its channels for a few days. But the decision also backfired.
Domestic logistical problems also complicated distribution. The August 26 Bhotekoshi floods disrupted road connectivity, affecting the movement of LPG bullets to bottling plants in and around Kathmandu Valley. With transportation routes disrupted, these bottlers were forced to send cylinders on small trucks to bottling plants in the Tarai for refilling and transport the filled cylinders back to the capital. The additional transportation requirements also contributed to shortages in the market.
Customs data show that LPG imports remained higher than the corresponding months of the previous fiscal year throughout the first quarter.
In Shrawan (mid-July to mid-Aug), imports rose to 57,334.10 tons from 44,318.84 tons a year earlier. Imports in Bhadra (mid-Aug to mid-Sept) increased to 59,833.98 tons from 47,644.69 tons, while those in Ashwin (mid-Sept to mid-Oct) reached 54,816.79 tons, up from 47,470.92 tons in the same month last fiscal year.
The monthly figures indicate that imports increased in all three months, although volumes declined in Ashwin compared with Bhadra in the current fiscal year.
