Nepal urges US for preferential market access

Nepal urged the US for preferential market to Nepali products including textiles and pashminas.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari, who is in the US visit to sign Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) today evening, also hoped that the trade and investment relations between the two countries would further expand and deepen in the days to come.
Earlier today Adhikari attended an Energy Roundtable organised by the US State Department in Washington DC and shed light on the energy scenario in Nepal and government's vision and plans to address the energy woes in the wake of recent declaration of the period of emergency in the energy sector.
During the roundtable, he also invited US investors to invest in Nepal. Many investors attending the round table thanked Adhikari for his initiatives and indicated their interest for investing in the development of hydropower sector of Nepal.
The round table was attended by some 20 representatives of various companies, and official of the US Treasury, Trade and Commerce, other offices of the US government, EXIM Bank and the State Department.
Adhikari also visited US Peace Corps’ Head Quarters and held a meeting about the Peace Corps’s works in Nepal. During the meeting with the director of Peace Corps he appreciated the contribution of Peace Corps Volunteers especially in the health, education and agriculture sector. He also requested the US to resume the services of Peace Corps Volunteers in Nepal which was withdrawn in 2006.
Director of Peace Corps appreciated Nepal's role in facilitating the work of Peace Corps Volunteers, and also assured Adhikari of their continued interest in re-dispatching Peace Corps Volunteers to work in Nepal.
Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme Helen Clark also paid a courtesy call on Adhikari. During the meeting, they discussed on various aspects of UNDP cooperation in Nepal. Similarly, they discussed on Disaster related conference, Nepal’s roles as chair of the LDCs, next LDCs conference to be held in Turkey this year.
Clark appreciated for the active leadership of Nepal as a chair of LDCs.
Adhikari, who is leading a nine-member delegation consisting of secretary of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs; secretary of Ministry of Home Affairs, secretary of Ministry of Commerce and Supplies, and secretary of the Ministry of Energy, and joint secretaries of Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Home Affairs, and Ministry of Commerce and Supplies, also discussed on US, Nepal ties with undersecretary for Democracy and Global Affairs of the US State Department Maria Otero. Adhikari was accompanied by ambassador of Nepal to the US Dr Shankar Prasad Sharma and other officials of the embassy of Nepal in the US.
With TIFA that will be signed today evening, Nepali industrialists are hopeful of getting much awaited GSP facility and develop the export market to US.
The US has TIFA with countries at different levels of development and trade and investment interests. Exporters here are hopeful that the first Joint Council Meeting of Nepal and the US after TIFA will consider Nepal’s interest on formation of Market Access Committee for easier access of Nepali exports to the US market. Duty free access to Nepali goods in the US market would be the major issue to be discussed in the agreement, It is also expected that the meeting will assess the prevailing situation of the US Generalised System of Preference (GSP) to Nepal’s export in relation to the preference coverage, preference utilisation and erosion of the preference margins.