Beijing has agreed to a three-day reopening of the Tatopani–Zhangmu corridor from 18 to 20 October, allowing long-stalled freight to move across one of only two operational Nepal–China land routes. The Tatopani post had been closed since 31 August because of monsoon-triggered landslides on the Chinese side of the Friendship Highway. More than 45 goods containers—mostly electronics, garments and consumer goods destined for Kathmandu’s holiday market—entered Nepal within hours of the gate lifting, according to the Tatopani Customs Office. Nepal’s Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies said the decision followed a diplomatic request aimed at averting festival-season shortages and price spikes during Dashain, the country’s largest annual holiday. For Chinese exporters in Tibet’s Xizang Autonomous Region the limited-time opening helps clear backlogs that have been diverting trucks 500 kilometres north to the Gyirong–Rasuwa route. The local government in Nyalam county set up a temporary parking zone and rapid customs inspection channel so that drivers could complete paperwork within 30 minutes. Although only cargo traffic is permitted this week, Nepalese and Chinese logistics companies see the move as a goodwill signal that broader reopening negotiations—stalled over COVID-era sanitary protocols and road-repair cost-sharing—could resume after Dashain. Businesses importing machinery and construction materials are lobbying both governments to extend operating hours permanently, arguing that Tatopani is closer to Kathmandu and offers lower elevation and gentler gradients than Gyirong, reducing fuel costs by an estimated 15 %. Importers should confirm load-booking slots in advance, ensure drivers carry bilingual manifests, and factor potential delays on the Nepal side, where the Bhotekoshi bridge remains restricted to single-lane traffic. Additional customs staff have been seconded from Birgunj to help process the surge, but officials warn that clearances may slow once late-evening convoys arrive.
Source: KathmanduPati
