Nepal's key exports — carpets, textiles, and herbs — face 20-30 day payment delays through NRB's strict FX controls and limited correspondent banking. LCORE's gold DVP eliminates the multi-hop SWIFT chain entirely: buyer deposits gold in Abu Dhabi escrow, commodity ships, delivery is confirmed, and gold releases to the exporter. Settlement completes in 2-3 business days with a minimum transaction size of $5M. No USD intermediary bank required.
Request ConsultationWhen NPR payments are blocked by correspondent banking compliance, LCORE's gold DVP provides a neutral Abu Dhabi alternative. Nepali commodity importers can deposit physical gold into DVP escrow -- commodity delivers -- payment in NPR confirms -- gold releases. 2-3 working days.
ADGM English Law governs. Lloyd's $200M insurance throughout. UAE geopolitically neutral -- not subject to US, EU, or UK sanctions regime.
Confidential. Min $5M. ADGM 28158.
Nepal's commodity export profile is modest relative to its regional neighbours, reflecting its landlocked, mountainous geography. Tea from the Ilam district — particularly first-flush orthodox tea — commands premium prices in European specialty markets and Japan. Cardamom from the eastern hills makes Nepal the world's third-largest cardamom producer, with Indian and Middle Eastern buyers. Pashmina (cashmere) from mountain goat wool is a premium artisanal export targeting luxury markets globally. Handicrafts, thangka paintings, and Himalayan herbs represent niche cultural commodity exports. Cement clinker and lime from the Terai industrial zone exports to India. Hydropower — Nepal has enormous potential from Himalayan rivers — is an emerging electricity commodity export to India via cross-border interconnections. Medicinal herbs (yarsagumba or caterpillar fungus from high-altitude areas) command extraordinary prices in Chinese traditional medicine markets. Nepal's commodity trade is structurally dependent on India as both the primary trade partner and the sole land transit country.
The Nepalese rupee (NPR) is pegged to the Indian rupee at NPR 1.6/INR, creating a sub-optimal dual dependency: Nepal's currency is tied to INR, but most commodity trade finance requires USD. Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) maintains strict foreign exchange controls — importers must apply for USD allocation and exporters must repatriate export proceeds at official rates. Nepal's banking sector has extremely limited international correspondent relationships, almost entirely routed through Indian bank intermediaries. For non-India USD commodity settlements (e.g., cardamom sales to Middle Eastern buyers, pashmina to European buyers), multiple correspondent hops are required. Nepal was on the FATF Grey List from 2010 to 2014 and remains under periodic monitoring. The NRB's foreign exchange rationing has periodically created import payment queues. LCORE's gold DVP enables Nepalese commodity exporters to secure payment confirmation in Abu Dhabi from Middle Eastern or European buyers, bypassing the NRB FX rationing and the limited Indian correspondent banking chain.