Nepal forwarded on Wednesday a list of over 100 items to the Chinese government for the purpose of acquiring duty free market access to China, a Nepali official said in Beijing.

The list has been forwarded after China agreed to consider positively on providing zero tariff facility to certain products of Nepali in bilateral ministerial-level meeting held in August this year, said Naindra Prasad Upadhyaya, joint secretary of Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies.

"We have identified over 100 products which could help Nepali export volume to rise and to bridge the widening trade deficit in preferential trading regime," Upadhyaya noted.

The list includes all major items which are already enjoying good growth in export and possess further growth potential in the Chinese market, and also the ones which are subjected to higher customs duty by China, said Upadhyaya.

Handicrafts, incense sticks, vegetable ghee, biscuits, noodles, cosmetics, cement, iron rod, paint, refined wheat flour, rice, vegetables, fruits and processed meat are among the major products included in the list.

While handicrafts, vegetable ghee, noodles, wheat flour, vegetables and fruits are among the products whose export volume has been increasing fast in recent years, cement and other construction materials have been included considering their future export potential.

Items such as cosmetics, processed meat and other fast-moving consumer goods are also identified as products, which can post robust growth in export if taxes imposed on them are waived off, Upadhyaya said.

(Xinhua News Angency November 23, 2005)