India-China border trade through Nathu La resumes after six yrs

New Delhi, Aug 1: Cross-border trade between India and China through the Nathu La pass in Sikkim resumed on Saturday after a gap of more than six years, marking a positive development in bilateral engagement.

Officials from both countries met at No Man’s Land to formally mark the resumption of border trade. The Chinese delegation included officials from the Tibet Autonomous Region, including representatives of its commerce and border trade departments.

Trade through Nathu La had been revived in 2006 after remaining suspended since the 1962 India-China conflict and continued until 2020, when it was halted amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the resumed arrangement, border trade will be conducted from Monday to Thursday, with the trade gate opening at 7:30 am IST.

Each registered trader will be permitted to conduct trade worth up to Rs 2 lakh per day, officials said.

The existing list of approved import and export items and the standard operating procedures will remain unchanged, according to officials.

The reopening of the Nathu La trade route comes amid efforts to improve bilateral engagement between India and China following years of tensions along the Line of Actual Control.

The resumption is expected to provide a boost to local traders and communities dependent on cross-border commerce while restoring an important traditional trade channel between the two countries.