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Kathmandu, Nov 10:  The Korala border point in Mustang, which had been serving as an alternative trade route between Nepal and China, will close from December, according to the Chinese authorities. The crossing had come into operation on September 16 after floods disrupted the Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani checkpoints, Nepal’s two main trade gateways with China.

Ramesh Khadka, chief customs officer at the Mustang Customs Office, said Chinese officials have cited extreme cold as the reason for the closure. “Temperatures have already dropped below freezing. Diesel is starting to freeze, and the altitude here is about 4,000 meters, while on the Chinese side it is even higher,” he said. “We have been informed that the border cannot remain open from December.”

Although customs operations will technically remain open, no goods will arrive, halting clearance work. Khadka said the Asycuda World system will still run, but without imports, there will be little activity.

The closure has alarmed traders, who had just begun using Korala after the Rasuwagadhi route was fully shut and Tatopani remained intermittently blocked by landslides. In the short time it operated, the checkpoint boosted both imports and government revenue. According to the Department of Customs, imports worth Rs 5.27 billion were recorded by mid-October, up sharply from just Rs 120 million a month earlier. Revenue collection reached Rs 3.02 billion in a single month.

During that period, 1,498 electric vehicles and 671 container trucks entered Nepal through Korala. Exports worth Rs 9.1 million were also recorded.

Businesspeople now fear fresh disruptions in trade. One importer said that at Tatopani, it can take over a month to clear a single container because Chinese customs only allow five to ten trucks to pass daily. He alleged that Chinese officials take bribes of up to Rs 1.2 million to move certain trucks ahead in line.

The delay in rebuilding the Bailey bridge at Rasuwagadhi has also drawn suspicion. “If China can build big bridges quickly, why has this one taken over three months?” a trader questioned. “With Tatopani jammed and Korala closing, we have nowhere to turn.”

People’s News Monitoring Service