Import–export activities through the Korala (Nepal–China) northern border point have been declining. According to the Mustang Customs Office, trade through Korala has decreased after the recent resumption of operations at the Tatopani and Rasuwa (Rasuwagadhi) border points.
With Tatopani and Rasuwagadhi now open, the number of cargo containers entering Nepal through the Korala customs point on the Chinese side has fallen sharply. According to Information Officer Nimendra Singh, only eight to ten containers entering Nepal through Korala are currently pending customs clearance. Apart from these pending containers, no additional cargo containers have arrived at the Korala Customs Office, he said.
Earlier, when Tatopani and Rasuwagadhi were closed, customs clearance was conducted for 15–20 cargo containers daily. That number has now dropped almost entirely, Singh added. Since Korala became fully operational on September 16, customs clearance of imported goods has generated more than Rs 5.5 billion in revenue. So far, goods worth over Rs 11 billion have been imported through Korala, while handicrafts and Nepali products worth more than Rs 190 million have been exported to China.
According to Singh, more than 2,100 electric vehicles have entered Nepal from China through Korala so far. Most recently, BYD imported more than 500 electric cars through this crossing. Korala had been used as an alternative border point, but after Tatopani and Rasuwagadhi reopened, trade volume here declined, leaving customs staff with comparatively less work. Higher transportation costs through this route have also reduced the volume of imports and exports.
Chief Singh claimed that although Tatopani and Rasuwagadhi are open, trade through Korala will not fall to zero except during adverse weather conditions. “Trade may not occur at the same level as when Tatopani and Rasuwagadhi were closed, but for some traders Korala remains more convenient. Therefore, customs activities here will not come to a complete halt,” he said.
At present, activity at the Korala border and customs office has noticeably decreased. Despite harsh weather, a few staff members continue to operate the customs office. Traders conducting business at an altitude of 4,610 meters above sea level, drivers transporting cargo from Chinese customs, and local youths operating electric vehicles have descended to lower, warmer areas as movement at the border point has dwindled.
