Business delegates urge China to release containers

BY CHITRA KUMAR MIRAJ,Sindhupalchowk, Nov. 6: A delegation from the Nepal Trans-Himalayan Commerce Association has approached the Economic and Commercial Council of the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, urging the Chinese side to allow the release of sufficient cargo containers stranded at the Tatopani border and to expedite the construction of the Friendship Bridge at the Rasuwa border.

The delegation, led by association president Ramhari Karki, presented both written and verbal reports to the Second Secretary of the Council, raising concerns over the current difficulties faced by Nepali traders at Tatopani and Rasuwa border points. 

Karki informed that containers loaded with goods had been stuck in Nyalam, Khasa, and other parts of Tibet for weeks. Similarly, business activities through the Rasuwa border had come to a complete halt due to delays in rebuilding the bridge destroyed by floods four months ago.

According to Karki, the association had urged the Council to facilitate the import of goods purchased by Nepali traders, which had been held up due to the strict measures imposed by the Nyalam Administration. 

The delegation called on the Council to take immediate steps to ensure that the construction of the Friendship Bridge at the Rasuwa border is completed quickly. They also suggested that the Nyalam Administration should release at least 60 cargo containers per day through the Tatopani border point.

The Association expressed concern that due to the restrictions imposed by the Nyalam Administration, goods required for festivals such as Dashain and Tihar could not reach Nepal in time. 

The delegation requested the Council to take proactive steps to increase the number of containers released from Tatopani to ease the growing pressure on importers. Since the Friendship Bridge at Kerung was swept away by floods on July 8, cross-border trade and movement between Nepal and China have been completely suspended for the past four months.

Karki stated that the Council officials assured the delegation that they would look into the current condition of Tatopani and Kerung border points and examine issues related to trade and transportation with the relevant authorities. 

Following the 2015 earthquake, reconstruction works have been ongoing in the Khasa area on the Chinese side, which has delayed the release of containers. Currently, only about 20 containers are being allowed to enter Nepal daily, compared to more than 60 containers per day in the past.

Senior Vice President Ganga Bahadur Ghimire (Sagar), Bharat Karki, General Secretary Ram Chandra Parajuli, Secretary Ang Dorje Sherpa, and Chief Executive Officer Himal Thapa were among the delegation members who requested the Council to facilitate smoother trade operations through the two border points.

Following the flood damage to the Friendship Bridge at Rasuwa, the border has remained completely closed for four months. Many traders who were operating through Rasuwa had shifted to Tatopani for business. 

However, in July, a landslide at the Eco section under the Bahrabise-Kodari highway caused a complete shutdown of the Kodari road segment, preventing movement of goods. Although the Kodari road has now reopened since before Dashain, the Nyalam Administration has continued to impose restrictions on sending the stranded goods, further worsening the situation for traders.

Goods purchased by Nepali traders have been stored in Chinese warehouses for months, forcing them to pay high storage charges. Nearly a thousand containers have been stuck in Nyalam, about 44 kilometres from Tatopani. The Tatopani border had faced repeated disruptions due to the 2015 earthquake, the COVID-19 pandemic, and frequent floods and landslides.

Since the beginning of the current fiscal year, the closure of the border has hindered the government’s plan to collect Rs. 24 billion in revenue. Tatopani and Kerung border points are key routes for importing ready-made garments, fabrics, footwear, bags, agricultural tools, electric vehicles, toys, cosmetics, stationery items, apples, garlic, mustard, and buckwheat, among other goods, from China.