Nepal resumes exports through Rasuwagadhi border after 3 years

The northern border that has remained almost closed after 2015, has opened from today as Nepal exported some eight containers of goods to China through the Rasuwagadhi border customs.

Export from Nepal has been completely stalled for about 36 months citing the Covid-19 pandemic, whereas trade has been irregular though Tatopani customs since 2015 devastating earthquake. 

Chief Customs Officer at Rasuwa Customs Office Narayan Prasad Bhandari confirmed the export of goods worth around Rs 5.07 million today through the Rasuwagadhi customs today. 

“Exports that had stalled due to the Covid pandemic have started from today,” he said, adding that bamboo stools, handicrafts and copper ornamental items were exported to China today. "The export of goods and the movement of people through Rasuwagadhi customs was closed from January 29, 2020."

According to the customs report, goods worth Rs 763 million were exported to China in the fiscal year 2019-20. However, a limited import was allowed and about 14 Chinese containers were imported from the border daily, though irregularly. 

Nepali traders have been blaming China for imposing an 'undeclared blockade' on Nepal by halting the free movement of goods to and from the landlocked country via both Tatopani-Khasa and Rasuwagadhi-Kerung customs points. Nepali traders have been voicing their concerns time and again but the apathy from the Chinese side pushed them into huge losses. 

Ready-made clothes, apples, shoes, bags, motor batteries, plastic goods are imported from China through the border, whereas pashmina, carpets, bamboo stools, broom grass, refined flour, vegetable ghee, noodles, pasta, biscuits, juice, jam, beaten rice, lapsi candy, chocolate, sugar and chewing gum are exported to China.

According to a press note issued by the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, “The opening of two-way trade of Kerung port will promote Nepal’s exports to China, reduce the trade deficit in Nepal, solve the trade imbalance, and further improve the connectivity between China and Nepal.”

Nepal and China trade through Tatopani and Rasuwagadhi border points. But the Tatopani border point is still closed for two-way trade. 

The resumption of bilateral trade could be a coincidence with the formation of a new government, that is said to be orchestrated by the northern neighbour, a day ago in Nepal.

There will be an official ceremony to celebrate the resumption of two-way trade tomorrow. The ceremony will be attended by delegates of the Department of Commerce of Xizang Autonomous Region, the Lhasa Customs, the General Station of Immigration Inspection of Xizang Autonomous Region, the Health Commission of Xizang Autonomous Region, and other relevant departments.

The Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu has released pictures of export from Nepal.

Trade through Tatopani customs to close for three weeks

 Nepal China trade has again hit a road block as the northern neighbour has started maintenance of the Friendship Bridge at the Tatopani border point.

“Trade through the Tatopani border point has been halted for next 20 days for maintenance of the Friendship Bridge connecting Nepal and China,” confirmed the Tatopani Dry Port Customs Office. “China has is repairing the bridge and it will take almost three weeks to complete repairing the bridge.”

China has begun repairing the Friendship Bridge as it was partially damaged by floods in Bhotekoshi last monsoon. “The flood had slightly damaged the pillars of the bridge,” the customs informed, adding that China has decided to take 20 days at most to repair the bridge. The trade through the Tatopani Customs can be started only from mid-February. No trade will take place during the maintenance period as there is no import from China.

The Friendship Bridge was damaged in the devastating earthquake of 2015 also. Though, the bridge was reconstructed and came into operation in 2016, the trade through the Tatopani Cyustoms was disrupted several times due to several reasons. The checkpoint, which remained completely closed for four years after the devastating earthquake, was re-opened on May 29, 2019 but again to close due to Covid-19.

According to the Customs office, the checkpost – which has been collecting an average of Rs 5 billion in revenue from import and export of some Rs 20 billion to Rs 25 billion annually – kept closing and reopening for eight times due to the Covid-19 pandemic, floods and landslides. It was in continuous operation for three months after the checkpoint was reopened last September.

Tatopani customs to reopen on May 29

One of the key trading points between Nepal-China – Tatopani customs point is slated to reopen from May 29. Tatoani customs point was closed for nearly four years due to the devastating earthquakes of 2015.
Both Nepali and Chinese governments have deployed technical experts to reopen the Tatopani customs point – the second largest checkpoint of the country – as soon as possible.
A joint ministerial team from the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers including transport minister Raghubir Mahaseth and foreign minister Pradeep Gyawali the affected areas today.
The customs point that falls in Sindhupalchowk district is being reopened from May 1, but it will come to full operation from May 29, director general of the Department of Roads (DoR) Keshab Kumar Sharma briefed the visiting dignitaries. "Though the construction works of the Miteri Bridge will take another one-and-a-half months to be completed, the remaining works are almost finished," he said, adding that construction work of the dry port in Larcha and works related to upgradation of the road are also in the final stage. "Chinese Railway Construction Company (CRCC) is doing the work at the dry port and bridge." Work to repair customs office, godown check yard, check posts, bank and residences is also underway, he added.
Likewise, the works related to building retaining walls along the Arniko Highway – the only highway leading to northern neighbour – is ongoing.
Some works in the Nepali side is remaining but the Chinese side has completed upgrading the 9-km-long road from Khasa to Miteri Bridge that was damaged by the devastating earthquake.

Government working on to reopen Tatopani, Rasuwagadhi customs

The government has started preparation to reopen the customs with the northern neighbour China due to problem on the southern border.
The two customs offices along Nepal-China border – Tatopani and Rasuwagadi – have not been operational since the April 25 earthquake. But the unrest in Tarai for the past one-and-a-half months and fresh 'blockade' enforced by India has forced the government to expedite the process to reopen the two customs offices on China border. "The festive season next month has also forced the government," according to Ministry of Supplies.
The Chinese government is positive about reopening both the customs offices by October 15," secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies Naindra Prasad Upadhyay told a parliamentary committee on commerce today morning. "We had discussion with the Chinese officials yesterday too," he said, adding that the northern neighbour is ready to help Nepalis get enough supplies for festivities. The festivals – Dashain and Tihar – fall in the last week of October and the first half of November this year.
The unrest created by the Tarai-Madhes parties and India's 'blockade' is sure to make the lives of Nepalis hard – also due to hike in rices of essential supplies – during the festivities.
The agitating Tarai-Madhesh parties today disrupted supplies from the southern plains to pile pressure on the government. However, they forgot that the blockade will only widen their distance with Kathmandu and other region, as their protest will create shortage before the festivals.
Likewise, India has also halted more than 1,000 oil tankers and trucks with essential supplies from entering Nepal to express its dissatisfaction with political parties who didn't take Indian recommendations for the constitution.
Though India's Ministry of External Affairs has said that the Indian government has not prescribed any recommendations, the Indian media published New Delhi's 7-point recommendations to Nepal government.
According to customs officials, around 1,500 oil tankers from India used to enter Nepal every day from the Jogbani Customs Office. But there has been no movement for the past three days, creating shortage in Nepal. Long queues have started forming at petrol pumps as people rush to fill tanks of their bikes and cars fearing prolonged shortage.
Meanwhile, Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has also requested people to use public vehicles to lessen demand for petroleum products.
Due to the disturbance in southern plains – where there are major customs points – since more than last one and half months, revenue mobilisation has plunged by 35 per cent in Bhadra – the second month of the current fiscal year 2015-16, according to the Department of Customs.