Impact on Imports from China Following Closure of Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani Border Points

Following the closure of the Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani border points with China, imports from China to Nepal have started arriving through the Korla border in Mustang, a Himalayan district, according to officials. To ensure effective operations at this crossing, manpower deployment has been increased fivefold compared to before. The Customs Office in Mustang reported that currently 30 to 31 containers enter daily through this point. Officials noted that since the route from Korla to the capital Kathmandu is long and time-consuming, it has become difficult to bring in festival-related goods in a timely manner.

Previously, when 5 to 6 containers used to enter daily, Korla served as an alternative border point, but now it has become the sole transit point. The pressure on goods arriving via Korla has increased significantly. Jitendra Basnet, spokesperson for the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, stated, “With festival-targeted goods being diverted to enter Nepal through the Korla border, imports via sea routes have become necessary.” This has resulted in delays, leading to festival goods brought in by traders not reaching the market and consumers on time, thereby complicating the situation.

On September 26, severe flooding of the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli rivers forced the closure of Rasuwagadhi, Nepal’s main border point with China. Shortly thereafter, China temporarily closed the Tatopani border as well. Consequently, all shipments that used to come through these points are currently being diverted through the Korla border. Imports from China to Nepal include textiles, electronics, apples, and other goods. However, essential daily consumables such as lentils, rice, sugar, oil, beans, vegetables, fruits, and petroleum products are mostly imported from India.

Inspection and clearance at Korla are facilitated through the dry port in Chobhar. According to Vidur Chudal, Chief Customs Officer at the Mustang Customs Office, over 600 containers have passed through Korla since its use increased on September 26. “Since that date, 621 containers have entered, with a daily average of 30 to 31 containers. During holidays, the volume rises to 40 to 50 containers per day,” he reported. For this year’s Dashain-Tihar festivals, colder season clothing may need to be imported via sea routes.