Nepal-China Overland Trade Halts as Severe Weather Cuts Korala Route
Overland trade between Nepal and China has stalled ahead of Dashain after snow and landslides cut off the Korala crossing, leaving all three northern trade routes closed.
Nepal’s overland trade with China has ground to an abrupt halt barely two weeks before Dashain, as severe weather severed transport links through the Korala border crossing in Upper Mustang, leaving all three primary northern trading routes closed simultaneously.
The high-altitude crossing at Korala had been operating as the sole alternative conduit for bilateral commerce after monsoon disasters crippled the Rasuwagadhi route in late August and Chinese authorities suspended freight clearance at Tatopani. Over the weekend, unseasonal blizzards blanketed the border plateau while heavy downpours and landslides swept through the Kali Gandaki Corridor, cutting off vehicular movement across Myagdi and Mustang districts.
According to My Republica, Department of Customs Director General Yamlal Bhusal confirmed that heavy snowfall blanketed the customs area in Lo Manthang, stalling cargo clearance even though physical border infrastructure escaped major structural damage.
Further south along the transit corridor, transport infrastructure suffered extensive damage. The Kathmandu Post reported that more than 50 landslides hit the Maldhunga-Beni-Jomsom arterial road, while river erosion washed away access sections to a bridge at Pokharebagar. Reopening estimates vary among highway officials: Kali Gandaki Corridor project chief Tejaswi Sharma told The Kathmandu Post that clearing major debris and repairing the bridge approach could take up to a week, whereas Road Division Pokhara head Krishna Raj Adhikari told BBC News Nepali that restoring traffic to Korala might require 10 to 15 days.
Hundreds of commercial containers and newly imported electric vehicles are currently trapped near the frontier. The Kathmandu Post reported that over 200 containers were stranded in the Korala customs yard, according to Mustang Customs Chief Bidur Chudal. However, Onlinekhabar quoted Chudal stating that between 300 and 400 electric vehicles alongside loaded and empty freight carriers remain stuck across the yard and the border crossing.
The border paralysis has triggered deep concern across Nepal's retail sector ahead of peak festive demand. Onlinekhabar cited Parshuram Dahal, president of the RB Complex Traders Association, who reported that only 20 to 30 percent of Dashain apparel and consumer goods had reached Kathmandu, warning that freight delays and currency pressures could lift retail prices by 25 to 30 percent. In contrast, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry President Kamalesh Kumar Agrawal told The Kathmandu Post that subdued market demand might prevent immediate supply shortages.
Business organizations have urged the government to pursue diplomatic efforts with Beijing to reopen the shorter Tatopani route. As BBC News Nepali reported, rerouting Chinese shipments through India’s Kolkata port takes upwards of a month and adds between Rs 100,000 and Rs 200,000 in transit costs per container.