(TibetanReview.net, May25’25) – As hopes rise for the revival of border trade between India and Tibet through Shipki La in Kinnaur district, of Himachal Pradesh state and residents have urged the local authorities to take up the issue with New Delhi, reported the tribuneindia.com May 25.
The Kinnaur district administration has accordingly urged the state’s Industries Department to talk to the Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for the resumption of trade through this border town.
The report said Hishey Negi, president, Kinnaur Indo-China Trade Association, has written to the Kinnaur Deputy Commissioner, who is also the Trade Officer, asking him to take up the issue of the resumption of trade from this year.
Sino-Tibet border trade used to be held annually through Shipki La from Jun 1 to Nov 30 until five years ago. The volume of seasonal trade was stated to be worth Rs 8.59 crore in 2016, rising to Rs 59.21 crore in 2017. The last time the trade took place in 2019, the volume was Rs 3.05 crore, the report said.
It was disrupted during border conflicts between the two sides, as happened after the Doklam standoff in Sikkim in 2017.
“I have requested the Deputy Commissioner, Kinnaur, to take up the matter with the MEA, as the residents of villages along the Tibet border are keen that the trade is resumed this year,” Negi has said. He is seeking about 150 trade passes for local traders this year.
The traders have emphasized that many residents of the local border villages of Namgiya, Chuppan, Nako and Chango were economically dependent on the cross-border trade.
Trade sued to be conducted by barter system and in approved lists of items of export and import. Items like spices, carpets and tea figure on the export list while there are 20 items that can be imported, although more could be added on requests, the report said.
Some traders are stated to have been awaiting the payment of their pending dues for the past five years.
Himachal shares a 240-km border with Tibet, 160 km in Kinnaur and 80 km in Lahaul and Spiti.
There has been no trade between the two sides since 2020, after the Covid lockdown. The trade flourished when Tibet was free, but came to an end after China annexed the country and a Sino-India border war ensued in 1962. It was eventually resumed in 1992 until the outbreak of the Covid pandemic.