Nepal, China to ensure cross-border movement of goods without human contacts

KATHMANDU - Nepal and China on Tuesday agreed to ensure cross border movement of goods through the Tatopani-Zhangmu border point without human-to-human contacts amid the COVID-19 threat, a Nepali customs official said.

On March 25, the Nepali government had decided to reopen the international border points with China for supply of essential goods including medical and medicinal equipment from China. Earlier, the two Nepal China border points -- Tatopani-Zhangmu and Rasuwgadhi-Kerung (Geelong) had remained closed since late January.

Nepali officials said as Nepal has been enforcing lockdown until April 27, there will be the opening of only Tatopani-Zhangmu border point for a one-way movement of goods from China to Nepal for the time being.

"During the border security meeting held between two sides at the Nepal-China Friendship Bridge on Tuesday, two sides agreed on a mechanism that will ensure no human-to-human contacts between the two sides," Lal Bahadur Khatri, chief customs officer at Tatopani told Xinhua on Tuesday evening.

Khatri was one of the participants during the meeting led by chief district officers at Sindhupalchowk district from Nepal and their counterparts from the Chinese side.

As per the agreed mechanism, Chinese cargo companies will deliver the Nepal-bound goods to the area close to the border point by taking necessary clearance from Chinese authorities at the bordering areas.

"Once the Chinese drivers and loaders return back by leaving the goods in the bordering area, concerned Nepali traders will send its drivers and loaders across the border to take those goods," said Khatri.

According to him, there will not be more than 20 Nepali container drivers to go to the Chinese side to take the goods. "Nepali side will prepare a roster of maximum 20 drivers. The limited number of drivers will help to track and trace them if anyone is infected with the coronavirus," said Khatri.

He said there was no fixed number regarding the loaders and their numbers will be determined based on requirements. Before sending the drivers and loaders, the health desk set up by the Nepali government will conduct a health examination of them and issue health cards.

Last week, Nepal received medical goods from China in the first delivery through the reopened Tatopani-Zhangmu border point. BM Trading, a Nepali private company, had imported 7,500 pieces of N95 masks and around 300 liters of sanitizers from China.

"After the latest agreement on Tuesday, frequency goods movement through this border point will increase," said Khatri.

The deadly earthquake in 2015 badly damaged the physical infrastructure on both sides of the borders, and four years later, the Tatopani-Zhangmu border point was reopened in May 2019 but was closed again late January due to COVID-19 fears.

After reopening of the border point last year, the bilateral trade had slowly started to pick up pace through this point. During the first eight months of the current fiscal year that began in mid-July, bilateral trade through the Tatopani border stood at 5 billion Nepali Rupees ($40 million), according to Nepal's Department of Customs.