Kathmandu – Despite legal provisions prohibiting the import and sale of international SIM cards in Nepal, Cimex Inc has been importing and selling SIM cards from a Chinese telecom company. 

Cimex Inc Pvt Ltd appears to be operating not only as the official distributor for BYD vehicles but also as a distributor for the Chinese telecom company, China Mobile Hong Kong.

According to the law, importing SIM cards without permission from the Nepal Telecommunications Authority is prohibited, yet Cimex Inc has been importing 'activated SIM cards' from China and selling them as an official distributor.

For over a year now, Cimex has been importing and selling active SIM cards from China Mobile Hong Kong while the Department of Customs, Department of Transport Management, and Nepal Telecommunications Authority have remained silent.

Cimex has been importing active Chinese SIM cards under the pretext of software updates and selling them at high prices, while regulatory bodies remain silent.

 SIM cards intended for individual roaming use are instead being imported and sold commercially, as if by a dealer.

Spokesperson of Nepal Telecommunications Authority, Min Prasad Aryal, said there is no legal basis for a car dealership to import foreign telecom company SIM cards as a dealer.

'A car importing company bringing in SIM cards — and not just any SIM cards, but activated ones from a foreign telecom company — this is new for us as well,' Aryal said. 

'Our laws do not allow for the sale of foreign telecom SIM cards in Nepal. We will discuss this issue with all stakeholders and come to a conclusion soon.'

So far, over 10,000 BYD electric vehicles have been sold in the Nepali market. While the earlier imports came fitted with SIM cards, the latest batches of BYD vehicles have also been found to include them. 

During a temporary gap in direct imports, Cimex brought in and sold at least 5,000 Chinese SIM cards separately. 

This issue appears to warrant investigation by the Department of Customs, the Nepal Telecommunications Authority, the Department of Transport Management, and other relevant agencies.

Cimex Inc declared the purchase price of each SIM card at customs as 2,300 Chinese Yuan. According to the declared exchange rate of 19.14 mentioned in the declaration letter, Cimex bought each SIM card for Rs 44,022. 

Including insurance, freight, and all taxes, the cost of each SIM card upon entering Nepal is Rs 58,587. The law exempts SIM cards from customs duty.

Cimex imported the SIM cards under the customs subheading 8523.52.10, specifically designated for SIM cards.

 For SIM cards imported for telecommunication purposes, the law provides exemption from customs duty, imposing only 10 percent excise duty and 13 percent VAT. 

Accordingly, the SIM cards imported by Cimex were cleared under this classification.

China Mobile Hong Kong

China Mobile Hong Kong Company Limited (CMHK) is a company owned by China Mobile. Established in 1994, CMHK has been providing telecommunications services in Hong Kong since January 1997. CMHK is currently the largest telecommunications service provider in Hong Kong.

CMHK offers mobile telephone internet services and broadband. Widely known as China Mobile or China Mobile Limited, the company is fully owned by China Mobile Communications Group Company Limited. 

This parent company is 100 percent owned by the Chinese government.

China Mobile's network covers China and Hong Kong. It is China's largest wireless carrier. As of June 2021, China Mobile had more than 945.5 million subscribers.

China Mobile is listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. By users and revenue, it is the world’s largest telecommunications service provider. As of July 2025, China Mobile’s market value stands at USD 240 billion.