China stops Nepal’s trucks at border point

Officials cited by the Kathmandu Post have reported that Beijing has introduced a new regulation that prohibits trucks from Nepal from crossing the border with China at Tatopani.

Instead, their cargo must be transferred to Chinese trucks for transportation to destinations in Tibet. Nepal’s exports through the Tatopani border point, which resumed on Monday after an eight-year hiatus, have been affected by this new rule. According to Nepali officials, three containers filled with goods arrived at the border.

Travellers are still not allowed to cross the border into China, the publication reported. The Tatopani-Khasa trade route across the northern border was shut after the earthquake of April 2015 destroyed the infrastructure.The Tatopani Customs Office used to collect more than Rs15 million in revenue daily before the border closed following the earthquake.Before the border was closed in 2015, Nepali trucks were allowed to enter China across Miteri Bridge.

The Tatopani border point, some 115 km from Kathmandu, has historically been the main land route for trade with China. In the past, columns of porters and mule caravans carried merchandise over the Himalayan passes to various points in Tibet, The Kathmandu Post reported.

Hordes of Nepalis, mostly from Kathmandu Valley, used to throng Khasa, which was once a major shopping destination. Hotels and restaurants flourished along the highway.But the earthquake ended all that, and traders started abandoning the Tatopani market. Locals say the market town now wears a deserted look. The border re-opened briefly on May 29, 2019.

According to officials, around 13 goods-carrying containers used to cross the border to Khasa from Nepal, while 100-150 Chinese containers used to arrive daily in Nepal in the town’s heyday.The imported goods consisted of apples, equipment for different projects, readymade garments and footwear.

Officials say that there is insufficient infrastructure at Khasa and China has been prioritising the Kerung border point.After the hassles at the northern border check posts during Covid-19, traders started rerouting their shipments through southern border points to Kolkata port in India.The Tatopani border was briefly reopened on April 8, 2020, to allow medicines and health equipment from China to pass.