Nathula pass border trade resumes after 6 years; traders seek expansion of goods list

Nathula Border gate (ANI image)

Border trade through the Nathula Pass in East Sikkim, a key segment of the ancient Silk Route connecting India and China, resumed on Saturday after remaining suspended for nearly six years. A formal reopening ceremony was held at Nathula, with officials from both countries participating in the event.The trade route had remained closed since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent border tensions between India and China.Welcoming the resumption of trade, Anil Gupta, General Secretary of the Indo-China Nathula Border Traders Welfare Association, thanked Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang for his efforts in facilitating the reopening.”I extend heartfelt thanks to our Chief Minister, Prem Singh Tamang. This has become possible today solely due to his efforts. For traders who had outstanding dues or stocks stranded on the other side, this is a time of great joy, and everyone is happy,” Gupta said.

While welcoming the resumption of trade, Gupta said the existing list of goods permitted through Nathula needs to be updated to reflect present-day commercial needs.”The current trading list includes items like horses, sheep and general goods. We believe industrial products relevant to today’s times should be included. We have submitted a formal request to the department, and we are hopeful that the government will take a very positive view of this,” he said.Under the existing arrangement, only a limited list of traditional goods is allowed to be traded through the border route. Traders have long been seeking the inclusion of industrial and other commercially relevant products.

Gupta said preparations for the resumption of trade were underway, with authorities verifying applications submitted by traders.”Around five hundred traders collected forms, and approximately three hundred have submitted them. Verification is underway, and we hope all traders will receive their passes very soon,” he said.

The reopening is expected to revive economic activity in the border region and provide relief to traders whose businesses had been affected by the prolonged suspension of cross-border trade. Nathula, located in East Sikkim, is one of the few officially designated border trading points between India and China and has historically served as an important corridor on the ancient Silk Route.