Indo-China border trade through Himachal’s Shipki La to resume after six-year hiatus
CHANDIGARH: After a gap of six years, the traditional Indo-China border trade through Shipki La, a strategic pass at an altitude of 3,930 metres in Himachal Pradesh’s tribal Kinnaur district, will resume from. . .
CHANDIGARH: After a gap of six years, the traditional Indo-China border trade through Shipki La, a strategic pass at an altitude of 3,930 metres in Himachal Pradesh’s tribal Kinnaur district, will resume from August 1. The barter-based trade route, located near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), was originally scheduled to reopen on June 1 but was delayed due to pending modalities related to immigration procedures. The trade season will now continue until November 30. The Kinnaur district administration received 88 applications from traders, of which 53 have been approved by the state home department after verification of antecedents. In the first phase, 15 Indian traders will cross into the Tibet Autonomous Region of China to begin trading. Under the notified trade agreement, traders can exchange only approved commodities. The import list includes 20 items such as wool, pashmina, sheep skin, yak tails, yak hair, salt, shoes, blankets, quilts, carpets and herbal medicines. The export list comprises 36 items, including coffee, tea, barley, rice, wheat, flour, dry fruits, tobacco, cigarettes, canned food, spices, watches, utensils, handloom and handicraft products. Livestock trading will not be permitted due to the absence of quarantine facilities. Traders will transport goods by vehicles up to the India-China border, after which the consignments will be carried nearly two kilometres inside the Tibetan region on mules to a designated trading point where exchanges will take place. Indian traders will have to return to Kinnaur within 72 hours. Security arrangements at Shipki La will be jointly supervised by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Himachal Pradesh Police. The Customs Department has deployed personnel at the Shipki La customs station and issued guidelines on permitted goods. All consignments entering and leaving the country will undergo mandatory inspection. Revenue, Tribal Development and Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi will attend the reopening ceremony and inaugurate the Chhuppan Trade Mart at Shipki La, which will facilitate customs clearance, trader registration and import-export procedures. The Indo-China Trade Association of Kinnaur has been pushing for the revival of the route, stating that thousands of residents in border villages such as Namgiya, Chuppan, Nako and Chango depend on the barter trade for their livelihoods. Association president Hishey Negi said the revival would provide a major economic boost to people living in the remote border region.