The import process at the Bhairahawa border, which had become difficult due to the mandatory requirement to mention the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) at the customs point, has started easing following facilitation measures introduced by the Department of Customs.

The department has allowed importers to clear goods temporarily by submitting written self-declarations stating that they will affix labels containing details such as MRP, brand and expiry date before the products are sold or distributed in the market.

Harihar Poudel, chief of the Bhairahawa Customs Office, said imports began resuming from Thursday after the department verbally informed customs offices about the facilitation measure. “Importers bringing such goods have been required to submit written self-declarations with commitments at the customs office itself,” Poudel said.

Importers had been demanding permission to affix labels containing MRP and other required details at their warehouses after customs clearance.

The import process had become difficult after the department issued a 15-day notice to implement the rule in line with a letter from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies dated April 13. Following the notice, customs offices had started halting the import of goods without MRP labels from April 27.

Importers argued that the rule was impractical, saying it had been enforced with very short notice, while many consignments had already been ordered from foreign countries before the rule came into effect. They also said certain goods could not be labelled easily. Citing these reasons, importers had refused to clear imported goods from customs.

As importers stopped clearing shipments, goods remained stranded at customs points and in transit for several days. According to the Nepal Customs Agents Association, Siddharthanagar, goods loaded on more than 400 vehicles had been stuck at the Bhairahawa border due to the regulation.

On April 13, the department issued a 15-day public notice requiring commercially imported packaged food items to carry labels mentioning details such as the brand, MRP and expiry date, while other finished goods were required to display labels showing the brand and MRP.

The rule was then enforced strictly at customs points. According to the Bhairahawa Customs Office, imports through the Bhairahawa border had been declining since April 27 after the implementation of the regulation. Following the latest facilitation, goods carried by more than 90 trucks that had been stranded until Thursday have now been released from customs.

On Thursday alone, the office collected customs revenue worth 540 million rupees. Customs chief Poudel said this was the first major revenue collection since April 27.

Madhu Prasad Panthi, president of the Nepal Customs Agents Association, Siddharthanagar, said implementation of the MRP rule had become complicated because goods imported from India and third countries had already been loaded and dispatched towards Nepal before the government issued the notice.

“It takes months for goods imported from countries such as Japan and China to reach Nepal’s customs points. However, the MRP rule was implemented with very short notice,” Panthi said. “As a result, it became difficult to comply with the regulation for goods imported from distant countries.”