Goods imported for festivals still stranded in China

By Chitra Mijar,Sindhupalchok, Nov. 15: Goods intended for the Nepali market for the festivals of Dashain and Tihar, and the winter season are still stuck across the border in Chinese territory. The delayed shipments also include fruits and winter clothing.

It has nearly been two months since these goods were held up due to floods and landslides caused by heavy rainfall on September 28, which blocked roads in the Chinese side and Tatopani areas. As a result, fruits and winter garments remain stored in Chinese warehouses.

Buddha Raj Basnet, President of the Sindhupalchok Chamber of Commerce and Industry, expressed concern over the situation, explaining that merchants are anxious about the perishable nature of the fruit and the potential for winter clothing and readymade items to go out of fashion. We have urged the government to facilitate the swift transportation of the goods to Kathmandu, he said. 

At Khasa, the Chinese customs office currently inspects only one container per hour, resulting in over 150 containers queued in the Khasa side. More than 30 containers carrying fruit and over 2,000 containers with winter clothing remain stranded in Kerung warehouses. 

Containers bound for Tatopani have been parked along the roadsides for months, as road construction and town reconstruction work continue in Khasa. Rising expenses, such as parking fees and provision of food and accommodation for drivers and helpers, have increased the financial burden on traders.

Additionally, the cold storage facilities in Kerung are unreliable, causing fruit to risk spoilage. To avoid damage and seasonal losses, some traders are preparing to bring their goods to Kathmandu, even at higher transportation costs, which are expected to impact consumers, said the traders. 

Transport companies in Khasa and Lhasa have announced that they will increase freight charges, citing the extra costs incurred from waiting for over a month.

Despite ongoing road construction and reconstruction in Khasa, repeated requests have been made to the Chinese authorities to release the stranded containers, said Surya Prasad Kafle, Information Officer at the Tatopani Dry Port Customs Office. 

He also said that the import of goods such as fruits, clothing, readymade items, electronics, and hydroelectric equipment has decreased. But there has been an increase in the import of electric cars.