# India and China revive Himalayan trade at Nathu La Pass 2026-08-19T17:21:35+00:00 | World & Diplomacy | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The Nathu La Pass, a high-altitude border trading post connecting India's Sikkim state with China's Tibet region, reopened to commerce on Saturday for the first time since 2020. The pass, at 4,310 metres above sea level, was closed after the pandemic and the deadly Galwan Valley clashes that year. Before closure, the route enabled Indian exports of rice, flour, tea, tobacco and copper products, while imports included yak tails, wool, raw silk, horses, salt and butter. The trade was based on a 2006 agreement that reopened the pass after the 1962 India-China war. Around 600 registered traders in Sikkim had depended on this route for their livelihood. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The reopening follows a broader thaw in India-China ties, including the 2024 agreement on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control. The 2006 trade list still governs what can be traded, but a 2023 field study found many listed items were no longer traded in meaningful volumes. The real test will be whether actual trade volumes pick up, and whether the route can become a sustainable economic link rather than a symbolic one. Watch for the first quarterly trade data from the Sikkim government. ## Coverage - scmp.com Straightforward news agency-style reporting with no discernible slant, focusing on factual reopening and trade details. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Galwan Valley, India-China trade, Nathu La Pass, Sikkim, Tibet Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/india-and-china-revive-himalayan-trade-at-nathu-la-pass/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/india-and-china-revive-himalayan-trade-at-nathu-la-pass/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/