Cross-border land ports bustling again as restrictions lifted

Located in the Himalayas, the port is 800 kilometers from the regional capital Lhasa and about 130 km from Kathmandu, capital of Nepal.

One of the biggest land ports between China and Nepal, it handles more than 60 percent of the two countries' trade.

The port went into full operation in 2014. Plans to expand the facility received national approval in 2017, with the port opening for business to third-destination countries in August that year.

Trade at the port was suspended in 2019 and 2020 due to the epidemic, but one-way freight services to Nepal resumed in July 2020 after cautious and strict measures were adopted to minimize any risks.

Xie Qiang, head of the Gyirong customs administration, said that since July 2020, import and export trade volume at the port has reached a total of more than 4.2 billion yuan, with total cargo throughput standing at 97,800 tons.

On Dec 28, imports at the port reached 38.7 tons and were valued at 825,800 yuan, he said.

Authorities have streamlined customs clearance services at the port, and its freight processing capacity has returned to the pre-pandemic level, Xie added.

Huang Zhonghan, manager at an import and export company in Nyalam county, Tibet, said the resumption of two-way trade at the port is great news for the company, as it can reduce costs and transportation times.

This year, the company will send an employee to Nepal on a long-term basis to expand business, which Huang believes will pick up soon.

He said the company will also import and export more types of products to meet demand in China and Nepal.

"With the government continuing to invest in infrastructure, foreign trade at ports in Tibet will be elevated to a new level, and we believe that Gyirong Port will have a better future," Huang said.

This story was written by Li Yingqing in Kunming, Yuan Hui in Hohhot, Zhang Li in Nanning, Palden Nyima in Lhasa, and Zou Shuo in Beijing.

Contact the writers at liyingqing@chinadaily.com.cn