Mustang customs surpasses Rs. 12B turnover

By Hari Krishna Sharma, Muktinath (Mustang), Mar. 24: The Mustang Customs Office, located in Nechung of Lomanthang Rural Municipality–4 in Upper Mustang, has recorded foreign trade transaction worth more than Rs. 12 billion within seven months of its operation.

Since becoming fully operational on September 15, 2025 of the current fiscal year 2025/26, the customs office has recorded both import and export of goods worth Rs. 12.37 billion by mid-March, 2026.

Of this total trade, goods worth around Rs. 12.17 billion were imported through this customs office, while goods worth only about Rs. 203 million were exported.

From the import and export of goods, the customs office collected revenue amounting to Rs. 5.71 billion during the review period.

According to Information Officer Abindra Singh, the revenue was largely generated from containers carrying electric vehicles and other goods entering Nepal via the Korala border point from Zhongba County in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

“Cold weather affected import and export activities, and the Chinese festival Losar also caused a temporary slowdown in imports,” Singh said.

Imported goods primarily include electric vehicles, household items, cosmetics, electronic equipment, clothing, and footwear, he said. 

Nepal’s exports through the checkpoint consist mainly of handicrafts and garments. 

So far, a total of 2,347 electric vehicles have entered Nepal through the Korala border.

However, the flow of Chinese vehicles through Korala has declined following the reopening of other key trade points such as Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani.

While customs clearance procedures on the Chinese side remain smooth, heavy snowfall during the winter months (Poush, Magh, and Falgun), along with election-related disruptions, has impacted trade activities, according to the customs office.

There is an expectation of smoother operations from Chaitra to Asar, he added.

Goods are transported from the Korala border to the customs office, located about 14 kilometres below, for inspection and clearance. They are then shipped along the 186-kilometre Korala–Jomsom–Beni road corridor to Pokhara.

With the onset of warmer weather, trade activities have begun to pick up at the Korala border, increasing the movement of labourers, drivers, and local traders. Situated at an altitude of 4,650 metres above sea level, the Korala border had remained closed since the 1960s following geopolitical tensions after Tibet’s integration into China. 

It was officially reopened on November 13, 2023.