BHAIRAHAWA: The customs clearance process for imported goods at the Bhairahawa border checkpoint has started to ease after the Customs Department resumed processing items that had been halted over the issue of maximum retail price (MRP) labeling.
The Bhairahawa Customs Office said imports, which had been disrupted for several days due to the requirement of mentioning MRP at the customs point, have gradually returned to normal following a new decision by the Department.
The Bhairahawa border point is considered one of Nepal’s key entry points for industrial raw materials and daily commercial imports from India.
Under the revised arrangement, import permission will be granted immediately if importers submit a written self-declaration committing to affix labels containing details such as MRP, brand name and expiry date before the goods are sold and distributed in the market.
Following the decision, goods that had been held at customs have started to be released.
Chief of the Bhairahawa Customs Office, Harihar Poudel, said the import process resumed after receiving facilitation-related instructions from the department. According to him, importers are being allowed to clear their goods after submitting a written commitment at the customs office.
The customs office’s information officer said importers had requested permission to affix labels with details such as MRP in their warehouses rather than at the customs point, and facilitation has now been provided accordingly.
According to a notice issued by the Department of Commerce following a letter from the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies dated Chaitra 30, the import of goods without MRP labeling was halted from Baisakh 14 after a 15-day notice period. The decision disrupted imports through the Bhairahawa border point.
Importers argued that the rule was implemented on short notice and that goods already ordered from abroad could not immediately comply with the labeling requirement. They also pointed to practical difficulties in affixing MRP labels at customs for certain products.
As a result, many cargo vehicles and consignments were stranded at customs checkpoints and along highways.
Madhu Prasad Panthi, president of the Nepal Customs Agents Association, Siddharthanagar, said more than 900 cargo vehicles had been halted at the Bhairahawa border due to the MRP requirement.
Business operators have warned that the mandatory labeling rules related to MRP, brand name and expiry date could also affect imports through other major border points, including Biratnagar, Birgunj, Tatopani and Kerung, which primarily handle imports from China and third countries.
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