The association has stated that the lack of imported materials in time has led to a shortage of Chinese goods in the Nepali market and Nepali businessmen have also been affected.
What you should know
The Nepal Himalayan Cross-Border Commerce Association has drawn attention to initiatives to streamline the delays in goods imported from China for the festive season and winter season.
Submitting a memorandum to the Nepali Embassy in Beijing on Friday, the association said that the imported materials did not enter the Nepali market on time, causing a shortage of Chinese goods and Nepali businessmen to suffer.
Two Nepali businessmen from neighboring Hebei province reached the embassy in Beijing on Friday morning with the association's letter. Suresh Koirala, representative of the Himalayan Cross-Border Chamber of Commerce in China, and Ramesh Timalsina, representative of NRNA China, submitted the association's letter to Acting Ambassador Roshan Khanal. Khanal said that the Nepal government is aware of this problem and has been taking initiatives for facilitation.
After the flood of Ashad 24 washed away the Miteri Bridge at Kerung, Nepal-China, import and export through the border crossing have been completely halted. Goods imported by Nepali businessmen for Dashain-Tihar were stopped in Kerung, while some containers have been diverted to the Tatopani border crossing.
Before the closure of the Kerung border, 100 to 150 containers used to pass through the Tatopani border daily, but now it has been limited to 10-12. This has resulted in a build-up of containers at the Chinese border, and the quality of the goods is likely to gradually deteriorate.
According to Nepali Consul General in Lhasa, Laxmi Niraula, the results of the request for facilitation made by Xichang Foreign Affairs a few days ago are starting to be seen. Niraula said that since the inspection has been intensified, 20 to 25 containers have started going to Nepal daily.
Talking to Kantipur, he said, "Earlier, 10/12 containers used to go to Nepal daily, but now it has doubled."
Meanwhile, Xichang has shown willingness to discuss the issue of making the Tatopani border more efficient. Preparations have been made for a discussion between Nepali and Chinese immigration officials at the Tatopani border on Saturday. It is said that the discussion will take place after 10:30 am Beijing time.
Nepali businessmen have requested the embassy to take the initiative to release at least 50 containers at the Tatopani border checkpoint daily. Nepali small businessmen are worried about the recent disruptions to the Nepali business sector as the post-COVID situation gradually picks up pace, said Koirala, a businessman based in Hebei province, who has approached the Nepali embassy to make a request. Koirala said, "The request is made with the aim of ending the impasse at the Nepal-China border in a simple and easy way and creating an environment for import and export as before."
In the letter submitted by the Cross-Border Commerce Association, it has been requested to construct the temporary structure of the Miteri Bridge in Kerung as soon as possible and create an environment for import as before. Since the trade imbalance between Nepal and China is increasing every year, it has been urged to move towards using the customs facilities provided by China.
To take advantage of the customs facilities, the businessmen have also drawn attention to the need to set up a Chinese laboratory unit at the Tatopani border checkpoint to make it easier to test Nepali goods.
