Kathmandu, March 8 -- Nepal's plywood exports fell sharply by 46.78 percent in the first seven months of the current fiscal year, with manufacturers blaming delays by Indian authorities in issuing the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certificate required for shipments to India.

Producers said they had been requesting the certificate renewal for the past five months, halting exports during the period.

According to the Trade and Export Promotion Centre, Nepal exported plywood worth Rs2.69 billion in the review period, compared to Rs5 billion in the same period of the previous fiscal year. Total plywood exports had reached Rs7 billion in the last fiscal year.

"It took five months to obtain the BIS certificate under the annual renewal syst...