Nepal is not a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

Nepal is not a signatory of the 1996 World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) nor the 2015 expansion (ITA II).

According to Art. 15 of the Public Procurement Act, international bidding is used for public procurement only when goods cannot be procured at competitive prices, if no bid has been submitted in the national bid for procurement of goods and services, or if it is certified by a public entity that the goods to be procured are of a complex and special nature.

According to Section 17 of the Public Procurement Regulation, a public entity shall, in making procurement, select any method outlined in the Regulation, and provide a 15% price preference to Nepali goods.

According to Section 31(F), introduced in 2019 through an amendment of the Public Procurement Regulation, domestic bidders are given preference even when public procurement is done through international bidding. Domestic firms, organisations, or companies that participate solely or in joint ventures with domestic firms, organisations, or companies are preferred in international bidding, with a price-preference margin of up to 5%.

Section 70.2(A) of the Public Procurement Regulations stipulates that foreign participation in the procurement of consultancy services estimated to cost less than NPR 100 million (approx. USD 800,000) is not permitted. However, exceptions may apply if a foreign entity forms a joint venture with a domestic individual, firm, or consulting company. Moreover, pursuant to Art. 71(6), when assigning evaluation weightings for consultant selection, the procuring entity may allocate up to 10% of the total score to the “participation of domestic human resources.” It is also reported that international consultants seeking to provide consultancy services must appoint a local agent.

Nepal is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA), nor does it have observer status.

According to Section 5.6.2 of the Telecommunication Policy Act, foreign ownership in the telecommunications sector is subject to a maximum equity limit of 80%.

Pursuant to Art. 3(2) of the Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act, an industry operating with foreign investment may not reinvest profits earned, or otherwise make foreign investment, in any industry listed in the Act’s Schedule. Under the Schedule relating to Art. 3(2), foreign investment in consultancy services is subject to a maximum foreign equity cap of 51%. The Schedule further provides that foreign investment is prohibited in certain service activities, including computer training services and accounting, business of mass communication media (including online news), engineering, and legal consultancy services.

New Zealand has adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.

New Zealand has not adopted national legislation based on or influenced by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.

According to Art. 70 of the Customs and Excise Regulations, as amended in 2019, the de minimis threshold, that is, the minimum value of goods below which customs do not charge duties, is NZD 1,000 (approx. USD 600), above the 200 USD threshold recommended by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).

The Fair Trading Act, as amended in 2013, and the Consumer Guarantees Act establish a comprehensive consumer-protection framework that also applies to online transactions. The Fair Trading Act prohibits misleading and deceptive conduct in trade and, in certain cases, requires traders to provide specific disclosures to consumers. The Consumer Guarantees Act complements this framework by providing consumers with remedies and protections for goods and services supplied by traders and manufacturers.