Nepal and India concluded a two-day bilateral customs dialogue in Kathmandu on Friday, April 11, with both sides agreeing on key measures to streamline trade, enhance cross-border cooperation, and combat illicit trade and revenue leakage.
According to the state-owned news agency RSS, the "21st Director General Level Talks on Customs Cooperation Between Nepal and India" focused on trade facilitation through paperless customs procedures, reducing logistics costs, and boosting collaboration to curb unauthorized trade activities.
Director General of Nepal’s Department of Customs, Mahesh Bhattarai, confirmed that India has agreed to recognize the Certificate of Origin issued via Nepal’s National Single Window system—a significant step toward simplifying trade documentation between the two nations.
The talks also yielded agreement on the exchange of advance import-export information, progressing toward a bilateral customs cooperation agreement, and promoting trade by developing critical infrastructure at border points.
Further consensus was reached on expanding quarantine facilities along the Nepal-India border, and on extending the use of the Electronic Cargo Tracking System (ECTS)—currently applied to third-country trade via Indian railways—to include road transport as well, with the aim of minimizing costs and improving transparency.
Both sides also committed to fast-tracking the construction and operationalization of Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) at Bhairahawa and Chandani Dodhara, and to initiating rail cargo services from Biratnagar.
The Nepali delegation was led by DG Mahesh Bhattarai, while India’s team was headed by Abhai Kumar Srivastav, Director General of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.
RSS
