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The Rasuwagadhi Customs Office collected Rs 13.64 billion in revenue during fiscal year 2025/26 (2082/83 BS), far below its annual target after floods destroyed the Miteri Bridge linking Nepal and China, disrupting cross-border trade for several months.

Chief Customs Officer Rajendra Dhungana said the office had targeted collecting Rs 40 billion in revenue during the fiscal year but managed to achieve only about one-third of the goal after the bridge over the Lhende Khola was washed away, halting imports and exports through the border point.

For the current fiscal year 2026/27 (2083/84 BS), the customs office has been assigned a revenue target of Rs 25.5 billion, he said.

Goods worth Rs 43.73 billion were imported through the Rasuwagadhi border point during the last fiscal year, down sharply from Rs 85.23 billion recorded in fiscal year 2024/25 (2081/82 BS).

Located on one of Nepal’s closest trade routes to the federal capital, the Rasuwagadhi-Kerung border serves as a major gateway for imports from China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.

Daily consumer goods, ready-made garments, electrical appliances, equipment for hydropower projects, electric vehicles and other industrial products regularly enter Nepal through the crossing.

According to the customs office in Timure, imports through the border include fabric rolls, garments, footwear, thermos flasks, children’s toys, ginger, garlic, grapes, walnuts, apples, pressure cookers, electric vehicles and children’s clothing, among other goods.

Information Officer Karbir Gaire said that although landslides and other natural disasters continue to pose risks to road connectivity, the office remains optimistic about meeting this year’s revenue target of Rs 25.5 billion.

During previous monsoon seasons, road clearance work was carried out by the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Company, but traffic came to a complete halt after the Miteri Bridge was swept away by floods.

Authorities expect fewer prolonged disruptions this year as a Chinese contractor has deployed equipment for road maintenance and a Bailey bridge has already been installed at the Rasuwagadhi border crossing.