August 15: The Chinese government has stopped importing and exporting goods through the Tatopani customs due to the increase in infection rate of Covid-19 in various parts of Tibet. Head of Tatopani Dry Port Customs Office Narad Gautam said that the foreign trade through this checkpoint has come to a complete halt due to the one-way closure of the border. There is no information about when it will be operational, said Gautam.

"No goods have been imported from China since the last four days," he said while talking to the New Business Age on Saturday, "The Chinese authorities have not given us any information on this matter either." There is confusion as to when the border will be opened.

Chief District Officer Bednidhi Khanal said that they have received information that the import has been stopped due to the increase in Covid-19 infection in Tibet. "There have been reports of more than 50 cases of Covid-19 in Khasa region," he said.

Since the onset of Covid-19, the Tatopani customs has been operating one way. Trade between Nepal and China has been affected due to the border not being fully operational. Some time ago, the local administrations of both the countries had agreed to increase the import of goods through the border. However, after the rise in coronavirus cases in China again has halted the import from the border.

On Friday, Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota discussed with the Chinese ambassador to Nepal, Hou Yanqhi, to reopen the border checkpoint. The speaker's press advisor Shridhar Neupane informed that there was a discussion regarding opening trade channels between the two countries during the meeting.

In the meeting, Ambassador Yanqhi said that Nepal is a good neighbor of China, praised Nepal's commitment to the one-China policy, and said China is always positive about border operations. Before the Tatopani customs was closed, four to eight containers of Chinese goods were imported into Nepal daily. Apples, machinery equipment, and readymade clothes were basically imported through the border point.

Due to disasters such as landslides, earthquakes, floods, and coronavirus pandemic, the Tatopani border is being closed and opened time and again. The Sindhupalchok Chamber of Commerce and the Nepal Himalayan Cross Border Trade Association have repeatedly drawn the attention of the Nepalese government to fully operate the border checkpoint.