Shipping garments from a landlocked country: how orders leave Nepal

It’s the quiet worry behind sourcing from Nepal: “it’s landlocked — will my order be slow, expensive, or stuck?” It’s a fair question, and the honest answer is that shipping from Nepal is a well-established, predictable process once you understand the routes. Here’s how it works.

How do garments ship out of landlocked Nepal?

For bulk orders, sea freight is the norm: goods move overland from the factory to an Indian gateway port — commonly Kolkata or Visakhapatnam — and sail from there to your market. For samples and urgent runs, air freight ex-Kathmandu (Tribhuvan International) is fast and straightforward, at a premium price.

What lead time should you plan for?

Two clocks matter. First, production — from approved sample to finished, packed goods. Second, transit — the time on the road and water to your port. Sea freight from South Asia to Europe or North America typically runs several weeks port-to-port (industry ranges vary by lane and season), plus the overland leg. Air is measured in days.

The practical takeaway: build a realistic buffer, order fabric early, and you’ll rarely need to pay for air.

Which Incoterms are common for shipments from Nepal?

For a landlocked origin, the common terms are EXW (you take over at the factory gate in Gaindakot) or FOB at the Indian port of loading (e.g. FOB Kolkata), where the factory delivers the goods onto your nominated vessel and your freight forwarder takes it from there. Here’s our full Incoterms guide.

What paperwork travels with the goods?

Your duty-free origin depends on documentation moving correctly with the shipment — above all the proof of origin (for the EU, a REX statement on origin) that shows LDC origin so your goods clear at 0% in the EU, UK, or Canada. A good exporter handles the export documentation and duty management so this isn’t your problem to solve.

What should you ask your supplier about shipping?

Ask four things: which port the supplier ships FOB from and the overland lead time to it, its realistic production lead time for your quantity, whether it handles export documentation and the proof of origin, and whether you can use your own freight forwarder or it arranges freight.

• Which port do you ship FOB from, and what’s the overland lead time to it?
• What’s your realistic production lead time for my quantity?
• Do you handle export documentation and the proof of origin?
• Can we use my freight forwarder, or do you arrange freight?

Landlocked doesn’t mean complicated — it just means planning a little. The export-side overview covers documents and routing in one place. Tell us your destination and we’ll walk you through the route and realistic timing for your order.