Govt urged to take initiative to open alternative border points with China

Kathmandu, Aug. 20

The Nepal Foreign Trade Association (NFTA) has called on the government to take diplomatic initiatives and develop infrastructure to open alternative border points with China, as the two northern border points for trade routes - Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani—are closed almost every year during the monsoon owing to frequent floods and landslides.

On July 8, floods swept away the Friendship Bridge linking Nepal and China, completely halting the movement of people and goods through Rasuwagadhi. Likewise, the Tatopani checkpoint in Sindhupalchok has been blocked for the past two weeks by landslides. The sudden closure of these borders due to natural disasters has left hundreds of containers and trucks carrying imported goods stranded on the roads, forcing traders to bear heavy financial losses, the NFTA said in a statement on Tuesday.

Noting that this situation recurs every year, the NFTA has urged the government to immediately operationalise other checkpoints through diplomatic channels and to make necessary infrastructural arrangements at alternative border points to facilitate smooth import and export with China.

Earlier, in 2015, the Development Committee of the Federal Parliament had recommended that the Korala and Olangchungola routes could be made operational. A decade ago, during bilateral discussions, senior officials of Nepal and China had agreed to open seven northern border points for trade. These included Korala in Mustang, Kimathanka in Sankhuwasabha, Lamabagar in Dolakha, Olangchungola in Taplejung, Amjapas in Mugu, Yari Hilsa in Humla, and Larke in Gorkha.

However, apart from Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani, none have yet been opened for commercial purposes.

Studies indicate that the Korala checkpoint could operate round the year, with infrastructure already in place on the Chinese side and road access reaching Korala on the Nepali side. Similar findings suggest that Olangchungola could also serve as a viable trade route. The Association has therefore urged the government to expedite efforts to open these routes and to prepare other potential crossings for trade.

China is Nepal’s second-largest trading partner. Statistics show that as infrastructure develops, Nepal-China trade has increasingly shifted towards northern border points. According to the Department of Customs, in fiscal year 2024/25, imports worth over Rs. 50 billion entered through Tatopani and more than Rs. 85 billion through Rasuwagadhi.

"With both key routes closed during the festival season, trade activities cannot expand as expected, consumers will be deprived of goods at fair prices, and the government will lose significant revenue," said the NFTA. It has demanded urgent action to open additional northern border points with China for commercial purposes.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 21 August 2025.