While cement demand in Nepal is forecast to show significant expansion in the future, the rapid build-up of production capacity is outstripping future domestic consumption growth. Therefore, Nepali cement producers are expected to increasingly address the challenge of exporting their products further afield. By Dhruba Thapa, Cement Manufacturers’ Association, Nepal.

Landlocked between India in the east, south and west, and China in the north, Nepal is geographically more accessible to India than to China. Without a rail or waterway network to date, the major trade route into the country is via road through the Indian border.