Outdated Tradable Item list Hindering Nathula Trade

Source:Sikkim Mail

Gangtok: September 13:

The trade along Nathula border in respect to import is not doing fine since 2010 as even this year the import from China till date is recorded nil. Based on the report of Superintendent of Customs, Land Custom Station(LCS), Serathang the export for the month of May 2011 is recorded to about Rs. 12 lakhs 70 thousand, June is Rs. 44 lakhs, 45 thousand, July Rs. 21lakhs 26thousand and in the month of August is Rs. 48 lakhs 41 thousand respectively. The total export made since May 2011 till August is about Rs. 1,26,82000/- respectively which in comparison to the figures of 2010 is quite less as the export met in the year 2010 since May till November is Rs. 4 crores 2 lakhs.

The items in demand for export in the Nathula trade out of 29 listed items by Government of India are cane food, utensils, textiles, copper items, tea, snuffs, spices, vegetable oils and blankets, the most demanded items are only nine out of 29 listed items which states that the traders currently carrying out trade along Nathula are not making much profit or are least benefited. On the other hand the 15 listed items for import are goat skin, sheep skin, wool, raw silk, yak tail, yak hair, china clay, borax, seaibelyipe, butter, goat
kashmiri, common salt, horse, goat and sheep respectively but the items listed for import or export are not much of demand or out dated.

Considering the revision of items listed for both export and import the Government of Sikkim along with the concerned department has been referring Government of India for necessary changes so that the traders along borders would be benefited out of trade since 2006 the year of inception but even after completion of the 5th year no response or changes in the items listed for Nathula trade has been revised. Adding more to it, the traders trading along Nathula used to carry out the trade of Chinese items not listed since long but that too has been strictly banned. If the revision or list is not met with soon or relaxation of trading of non listed items in less quantity then the idea of opening the age old trade route (silk route) would again lose its value and the intention of both the government of facilitating the people residing along the border will not be met at all.