KATHMANDU: Nepal imported nearly 2.25 million smartphones worth almost Rs 48 billion during the last fiscal year, with China remaining by far the country’s largest supplier, according to the Department of Customs.

Customs data show that Nepal imported 2,254,506 smartphones with a total customs value of approximately Rs 47.78 billion.

China accounted for the overwhelming majority of imports, exporting 1,889,664 smartphones to Nepal during the fiscal year. The customs value of these devices stood at Rs 36.79 billion, making China the dominant source of smartphones for the Nepali market.

India ranked second, supplying 364,842 smartphones valued at Rs 10.99 billion, the department’s figures show.

Nepal also imported smartphones from several other countries, although in much smaller volumes. Imports included 1,789 units from the United States, 1,394 from the United Arab Emirates, 1,834 from Qatar, 1,520 from Japan, and 2,766 from Australia.

While the number of handsets imported from these countries was relatively small, they largely consisted of premium devices, including high-end models such as Apple’s iPhones, contributing significantly to foreign currency outflows. Smartphones were also imported from Hong Kong, Germany, Canada, Vietnam, and the United Kingdom.

In addition to smartphones, Nepal imported substantial numbers of other mobile devices, including feature phones. During the fiscal year, 965,154 mobile phones were imported from China and 400,320 units from India. Altogether, Nepal imported more than 3.6 million mobile devices of all categories over the year.

The government collected Rs 6.86 billion in customs revenue from smartphones imported from China alone, while imports from India generated an additional Rs 2.04 billion in revenue. Including smartphones and feature phones imported from other countries, the mobile device sector contributed more than Rs 10 billion in customs revenue during the fiscal year, according to the Department of Customs.