The cost of importing clinker to Nepal rose by 33 per cent in the first four months of the current financial year due to increased demand, reports The Kathmandu Post. The demand surge has been attributed to reconstruction work following earthquakes in 2015 and upcoming hydropower projects.

In the July-November 2017 period NPR3.2bn (US$30.9m) was spent on importing 0.34Mt of clinker through Birgunj customs, compared to the NPR2.4bn cost of importing 0.31Mt in the same period of the previous year. Although Nepal has large deposits of limestone, the cost of setting up plants has left many cement factories relying on imported clinker. However, despite the increased cost, the country hopes to eventually meet its demand through domestic production.