The two border points—Tatopani and Rashuwagadhi—towards China have been closed for the past two weeks. Director General of the Customs Department Kamal Prasad Bhattarai said that China closed the two border points without informing the Nepal government officially. Though China has not given a specific reason to close the border points, the northern neighbor might have closed the border due to a surge in Covid-19 cases, he said.

Bhattarai, however, said that the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies was informed verbally about the border closure.

According to statistics, around 25 percent of the commerce passes through these border posts. The border closure will add more pressure on traders at a time when the biggest festivals are round the corner, Director General Bhattarai said. The government is in a dilemma on how to approach China to reopen the border for two-way trade as the northern neighbor had closed the border points one-sidedly. “We have talked with the concerned ministry to open the border. The officials have told us that they will take the initiatives to resolve the problem,” he said, adding, “We cannot do anything.” Nine border points of 10 districts have been opened for trade between Nepal and China. Tatopani and Rasuwagadhi, however, were the only border points which were in full operation. The container trucks with goods worth billions of rupees have remained stranded at the border points. China closed the Tatopani border point on August 10 and the Rasuwagadhi border point on August 14. The Tatopani-Khasa border point, which remained close for four year following the devastating earthquake of 2015, reopened on May 29, 2019.