The implementation of a stringent Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) by the Tea Board of India on May 1 has brought Nepal’s tea exports to a sudden halt, triggering widespread industry shutdowns. Under the new regulations, mandatory quality testing is required for every single consignment, a process that takes more than two weeks and prevents immediate sales. Over 53 orthodox tea factories in Ilam and 30 factories in Jhapa completely ceased production after warehouse capacities in Kolkata and local plants overflowed with over one million kilograms of unsold tea. Given that India imports over 90% of Nepal’s orthodox tea and 60% of its CTC tea, local associations and lawmakers have urgently appealed to the federal government for high-level diplomatic intervention to lift these non-tariff trade barriers.