Trade pressure shifts to Korala as Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani border points remain disrupted

Korala, a border point in Nepal’s Mustang district that previously handled relatively little commercial traffic, is now carrying the main burden of trade with China.

The shift followed extensive flood damage at the Rasuwagadhi crossing and the temporary closure of Tatopani on the Chinese side. Officials said Korala is currently the only operational border point handling the flow between the two countries.

Hundreds of cargo containers were stranded along the route to Nepal after floods devastated the Rasuwagadhi crossing. The goods had already cleared Chinese customs, complicating procedures involving payments, refunds and any decision to return the cargo to China for import through another border point.

The government therefore ordered cargo vehicles originally headed through Rasuwagadhi, also known as Timure, to divert to Korala, or Nechung. A large number of vehicles have since begun arriving there. The Mustang Customs Office, which normally clears only a limited number of vehicles, is now absorbing traffic that would previously have been handled by three customs points.

The office faced added pressure from three consecutive public holidays and the influx of diverted cargo, according to chief customs officer Bidur Chudal. Once banks and government offices fully reopened on Monday, traders began submitting more customs declarations and clearance accelerated. Officials cleared 15 containers on Sunday, including five carrying fruit and 10 carrying ready-made garments and other goods.

The Department of Customs has sent six additional employees to Mustang, bringing the office to its sanctioned strength of 18. The new team consists of three officers and three non-gazetted first-class officials. Customs data show that 175 containers have been rerouted from China toward Korala, with some already entering the customs yard. The office is prioritizing vehicles diverted from the other border points.

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Let us think about the infrastructure issues later. For now, we are working on keeping the customs clearance process running.