Now Reading: India and China revive Himalayan trade at Nathu La Pass
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India and China revive Himalayan trade at Nathu La Pass
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.
Source: scmp.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
