Traders divert shipments to Rasuwagadhi route

RASUWA, SEP 13 -

Traders have started to divert their shipments imported from China to the Rasuwagadhi-Kyirong route as the Araniko Highway is still inoperational three weeks after landslides and a swollen Sunkoshi River damaged some sections of the road in Sindhupalchok .

Although transactions at Rasuwagadhi Customs Office usually remain nil during this time of the year, the Department of Customs (DoC) said two-four containers are cleared every day these days.

“Since the landslide stopped vehicular movement on the Araniko Highway, China has also eased the Kyirong-Rasuwagadhi trade route,” said Surya Prasad Acharya, Director General at DoC.

Traders from places like Sindhupalchok , Kathmandu, Nuwakot and Rasuwa have gathered at Syafru and Timure to get their imported goods cleared. More than 60 containers are stationed at Rasuwagadhi customs to ferry the goods imported from China in Nepal.

“Rasuwagadhi customs has been operating at maximum capacity after the landslide rendered the Tatopani route inoperational,” said Sambhu Bahadur Khadga, head of Rasuwa Customs Office.

Heavy commercial traffic waiting for clearance has continued to flood the customs, but lack of physical infrastructure has been causing problems. The customs office has a warehouse and a small four-room building.

According to traders, 150 big trucks are headed towards Nepal from China’s Keyrung—25km away from the customs point. As a bridge connecting Rasuwagadhi and Tibet has not been completed yet, traders hire porters to carry the goods across the river. More than 150 porters are engaged in the job.

Traders import items like apparel, footwear, toys, banquet items, and electric goods from the customs and exports chili, flour, noodles, ghee and beaten rice, among others. According to Acharya, the bridge is scheduled to come under operation by October 1, and China is in the process of installing customs infrastructure on other side of the border. “When both the jobs are completed, bilateral trade between the two countries through this route will rise,” said Acharya.

Tatopani-Khasa is the busiest route for Nepal-China trade.

Source: The Kathmandu Post