Smartphone imports down 14.47% by volume, up 9.81% by value

KATHMANDU: Smartphone imports fell by 14.47% in volume during the first two months of the current fiscal year, but the import bill increased by 9.81%. This indicates a growing preference for higher-priced handsets.

According to the Department of Customs, Nepal imported 435,040 smartphones worth Rs 9.74 billion in the first two months of fiscal year 2026/27. The government collected Rs 1.81 billion in customs revenue from the imports during the period.

In the corresponding period of 2025/26, Nepal imported 508,693 smartphones worth Rs 8.87 billion.

The value of imports increased despite a drop in import volumes due to a sharp rise in the average value of imported smartphones. The average import value rose from around Rs 17,443 per handset in the first two months of 2025/26 to Rs 22,389 in the same period of 2026/27, an increase of about 28.3%.

China remained the largest source of smartphones during the first two months of 2026/27, with 365,545 units worth Rs 7.09 billion imported from the northern neighbor. India was next, accounting for 57,441 smartphones worth Rs 2.41 billion.

Chinese mobile phone brands like Xiaomi, Honor, Redmi, Oppo, Vivo and Tecno are popular among Nepali consumers.

Nepal imported smartphones worth nearly Rs 49 billion in the last fiscal year. According to the Department of Customs, 2,267,419 smartphones worth Rs 48.69 billion were imported into the country in fiscal year 2025/26.

The annual imports in 2025/26 increased by 3.79% in volume and 36.99% in value from 2024/25, when Nepal imported 2,184,694 smartphones worth Rs 35.54 billion.

The government collected around Rs 9.08 billion in customs revenue from smartphone imports in 2025/26.

Nepal imported 1,839,035 smartphones worth Rs 28.66 billion in 2023/24, compared with 1,569,596 units valued at Rs 24.39 billion in 2022/23.

China and India continued to dominate Nepal’s smartphone import market in 2025/26. China accounted for 1,889,664 smartphones worth Rs 36.79 billion, while India supplied 364,842 smartphones valued at Rs 10.99 billion.