🧶 Exporting hand-knotted woollen carpets from Nepal
Nepal's flagship manufactured export — hand-knotted Tibetan-Nepali woollen carpets. Who buys them, and how to ship.
$65MNepal exports (2024)
$609MWorld market
$21.85/kgWorld price
About the product
Hand-knotted woollen carpets are made around the Kathmandu Valley (Jawalakhel, Boudha, Sankhu) and are one of Nepal's larger formal-sector employers.
Nepal’s position
The United States is by far the largest market, followed by Germany, the UK and other EU countries. Western buyers increasingly require child-labour-free certification (GoodWeave), so that certification is effectively part of market access.
How to export from Nepal
Register for an EXIM code — One-time exporter registration with the Department of Customs.
Certificate of origin — From a chamber of commerce or TEPC; a GSP Form A where the destination grants Nepal preferential access (confirm current eligibility).
GoodWeave / quality certification — Child-labour-free certification, valued or required by most Western importers.
File the export declaration — Clear through customs — usually air or sea freight via Kolkata/Haldia.