Kathmandu has stepped up diplomatic outreach to Beijing in an effort to reopen the crucial Tatopani-Kodari land port, closed since mid-July after torrential rains triggered landslides on both sides of the border. The crossing, located 115 km north-east of Nepal’s capital, is a lifeline for Himalayan trade and for the hundreds of Nepali traders who depend on daily movement of Chinese goods. According to Customs chief Kamal Kumar Bhattarai, landslides at three Nepali sites initially blocked cargo, but Chinese authorities later issued their own notice suspending movements due to "geographical risks." With Tatopani and the alternative Rasuwa route simultaneously out of action—Rasuwa was flooded by the Bhotekoshi River—importers have had to reroute shipments via the much smaller Korala corridor, driving up trucking costs and consumer prices. China accounts for just over 20 percent of Nepal’s imports; electronics, construction materials and household goods dominate the flow. The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies said it has exchanged multiple diplomatic notes with the Chinese embassy and is coordinating road-repair works with Nepal’s Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport. Lawmakers have urged Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s government to "assign high priority" to restoring the crossing before the festive shopping season begins in October. Chinese officials, for their part, are reportedly assessing slope-stabilisation measures on the Friendship Highway leading to Zhangmu on the Tibetan side. Why it matters for global mobility: Tatopani is the preferred overland entry point for Nepali entrepreneurs attending trade fairs in China and for mountaineering logistics firms that source equipment from Sichuan and Yunnan. Its closure has complicated crew rotations and work-permit renewals for Chinese technicians employed at hydropower sites in Nepal. Multinational companies with regional supply chains (especially FMCG and infrastructure) face week-long trucking detours via India. If reopened swiftly, officials plan to pilot a single-window digital manifest system jointly developed by China Customs and Nepal’s Department of Customs, which could cut cargo clearance times by 30 percent. However, recurrent monsoon damage underscores the need for more resilient infrastructure—both governments are already discussing tunnel options under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. For now, mobility managers should advise travellers to use Tribhuvan International Airport or, for bulk freight, the Birgunj-Raxaul rail corridor via India until formal notice of reopening is issued.
Source: Peoples’ Review (Kathmandu)
