India-China border trade via Lipulekh yet to take off despite June 1 reopening

Pithoragarh: Despite the official resumption of India-China border trade through Lipulekh Pass on June 1 after a six-year suspension, commercial activity has yet to begin, with preparations still underway.

A customs office was established only two days ago, while the district administration has so far issued 73 trade passes -- 43 for traders and 30 for helpers -- against 120 applications received. Officials also said procedural issues related to the transportation of goods across the final 600-metre stretch to the border are still being worked out, delaying the start of trade.“This year, a customs office was established only two days ago.

We have issued 73 trade passes so far against 120 applications,” said Ashish Joshi, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), Dharchula. He added that the district administration and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) have agreed to provide space for animal shelters at Nabidang.Traders said that they are ready to begin the journey but are waiting for customs clearance. “We are ready for trade, but the customs office at Gunji is not functioning.

Without customs clearance, traders cannot proceed to the border,” said Daulat Singh Raypa, secretary of the India-Tibet Border Trade Association. He expressed hope that traders would be able to leave for Tibet in the first week of July.The delay is also taking a financial toll on traders. “The delay is causing economic losses. We want to reach Taklakot before the rains so that we can make arrangements for our shops, especially since the market location has been shifted this year,” said trader Chakkar Singh Garvyal.He said traders first carry samples of their goods to Taklakot and receive orders only after buyers inspect them. “If we reach late, orders get delayed and it affects our earnings,” Garvyal added.According to Raypa, Nepali traders crossed Tinkar Pass on June 23 and have already reached the Taklakot market. “As far as we know, they are already there. We hope Indian traders will also be able to begin their journey soon,” he said.The current trading season marks a major logistical shift in the India-China border trade through Lipulekh. For the first time since the route opened in 1992, goods will be transported by vehicles from Tawaghat to Lipulekh, made possible by the Dharchula-Lipulekh road completed in 2020. Although the road was ready that year, the Covid-19 pandemic kept the trade route shut for the next six years. The trade route connects Dharchula, Gunji, Kalapani and Nabidhang in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district with Burang (Taklakot) in Tibet’s Ngari prefecture.