SAWTEE, in partnership with Kathmandu University School of Management (KUSOM), organized a roundtable discussion titled "Navigating Nepal–US Trade in Uncertain Times" on 21 April 2025 at KUSOM, in conjunction with the release of an issue note, Decoding US’ Reciprocal Tariffs: A Nepali Perspective. The discussion fostered dialogue on potential policy responses and collaborative strategies to manage emerging trade dynamics.

The US Administration’s reciprocal tariffs announced on 2 April affect virtually all countries. The universal 10 percent tariff hike has already come into effect and the additional hike for countries other than China has been put on a 90-day pause. The road ahead is full of uncertainties—there are doubts about how, or whether, the reciprocal tariff scheme will continue. However, one thing seems certain: the international trade landscape is undergoing a profound change. Against this background, SAWTEE’s issue note, authored by Dr. Paras Kharel and Mr. Kshitiz Dahal, examines the US’s reciprocal tariffs from Nepal’s perspective.

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At the request of the International Labour Organisation, and the Garment Association of Nepal, Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, delivered a presentation on implications of LDC graduation for Nepal’s textiles and clothing sector at GAN office, Kathmandu on 17 April 2025. The participants included office-bearers of Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and GAN, garment exporters and ILO representatives.

SAWTEE welcomed Mr. Madhu Marasini as Senior Fellow, SAWTEE, on 11 April 2025. Mr. Marasini brings in over three decades of rich experience in policymaking, having served in various Nepal government agencies in different capacities, culminating in his roles as Commerce Secretary, Finance Secretary and Member-Secretary, National Planning Commission. He has also served as Advisor to the Executive Director, the World Bank, Washington, D.C., and as Nepal’s Consul General in New York. He has a Master’s Degree in International and Development Economics from the Australian National University.

At the invitation of the Ministry of Finance (MoF), Government of Nepal, Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, provided inputs to the "Draft Outcome of the Fourth International Conference on Finance for Development" in a roundtable consultation organized in Kathmandu on 2 April 2025 by MoF and the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office, Nepal.

SAWTEE’s Chairman Dr. Ratnakar Adhikari is featured as one of Business 360’s 100 People to Watch in 2025 for his contributions to regional integration and global commerce.

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, spoke as a panelist in a discussion on "Driving economic growth through innovation and entrepreneurship", organized by Kathmandu University School of Management (KUSOM) Policy Lab, Lalitpur on 29 March 2025. 

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Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, presented on Nepal’s exports of agriculture products and spoke as a panelist in a session on "Export Promotion – Strategies for Nepali Agribusinesses" at the Agro-Investment Summit – Series II, organized by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and the Commercial Agriculture for Smallholder and Agribusiness (CASA) programme in Kathmandu on 25 March 2025. 

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At the invitation of the World Bank, Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, spoke as a panelist in a session on "Exporting Nepal: Harnessing Digital and Merchandise Exports", held as part of the launch of the Nepal Country Economic Memorandum: "Unlocking Nepal’s Growth Potential" on 24 March 2025 in Kathmandu.

Dr. Paras Kharel, Executive Director, SAWTEE, attended and provided inputs in a high-level dialogue presided over by the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Government of Nepal, on 21 March 2025 in Kathmandu. Discussions were held on the new commerce policy, a strategic plan concerning the commerce sector in the context of Nepal’s graduation from least developed country status, and the government’s action plan on trade deficit minimization.