KATHMANDU, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Nepal recorded an 18.75 percent year-on-year increase in external trade in the first month of the current 2025-26 fiscal year, the Department of Customs said on Friday.

The total volume of foreign trade stood at 166.97 billion Nepali rupees between mid-July and mid-August, up from 140.16 billion rupees during the first month of the 2024-25 fiscal year.

The country's exports surged 95.75 percent to 23.93 billion rupees during the period, while imports rose 11.41 percent to 143.04 billion rupees, the department noted. (1 Nepali rupee equals 0.0071 U.S. dollars) ■