India-China border trade via Lipulekh to start from Aug 1, China allows 20 traders to cross border

Pithoragarh, India-China border trade via Uttarakhand's Lipulekh Pass is set to resume on August 1 after a gap of more than six years, with the neighbouring country granting permission to 20 Indian traders to visit Purang (Taklakot), according to officials.

For the first phase, the Chinese administration in Tibet has granted permission for only 20 Indian traders to visit Purang (Taklakot) to check preparedness and their existing stock, officials said on Tuesday.

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The Chinese administration made this decision citing a lack of accommodation facilities and has requested the names of 20 traders from the Indian side for the initial batch. In this phase, the traders will cross the border without any goods to assess the arrangements and inspect the stock they had left behind previously.

Ashish Joshi, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and Trade Officer of Dharchula, stated that the Border Trade Organization has been asked to submit the names of 20 traders for the first phase..

The India-China Border Trade Association has decided to prioritise, in the first batch, those 20 traders whose goods remained in rented warehouses in Taklakot in 2019. Border trade had been abruptly halted that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jeevan Singh Rongkali, President of the Association, said, "Before taking new goods from India, we want to inspect the old, unsold stock stored in the Taklakot warehouses-goods that were left behind when the trading season ended in 2019.

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India-China border trade via Lipulekh Pass was resumed in 1992. Prior to that, the trade had come to a complete halt following the 1962 India-China war. This trade is primarily conducted by tribal traders from the Vyans, Darma, and Chaudas valleys of Pithoragarh district.

These communities had centuries-old trade ties with Western Tibet prior to 1962, and the cessation of this trade caused them significant economic loss. This trade, which was suspended in 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is considered vital to the economy of the border region. Its resumption is expected to bring significant relief to local traders and tribal communities living along the border.

The border trade was initially scheduled to commence on June 1 this year; however, the Tibetan administration requested more time, citing a lack of basic amenities-such as accommodation and shops-at the Purang trading mart. With the necessary arrangements now in place, the way has been cleared for the resumption of this historic border trade starting August 1.