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The Nechung Customs Office in Nechung, Lomanthang Rural Municipality-4 in Upper Mustang, collected more than Rs. 9.92 billion in revenue during the fiscal year 2025/26.

The Korala border point, which had traditionally been used by local residents of Upper Mustang for household purposes, came into commercial operation on September 16, 2025.

During the same period, goods worth Rs. 14.40 billion were imported, while exports totalled Rs. 204.055 million, said Information Officer Abindra Singh.

He said that exports have declined in recent months, while the largest share of customs revenue has been generated from the import of Electric Vehicles (EVs).

According to Singh, the major imports include electric vehicles, household goods, cosmetics, electrical appliances, garments and footwear. Nepal's exports through the border mainly consist of handicrafts, garments and similar products.

Although the customs office has successfully collected substantial revenue from containers carrying electric vehicles and other goods arriving regularly via the Liji–Nechung (Korala) route from Zhongba County in China's Tibet Autonomous Region, exports remain weak compared to imports.

So far, 3,223 electric vehicles have been cleared through the customs office at the Korala border.

Although customs operations tend to slow during Tibetan festivals, the monsoon and winter seasons, imports of Chinese EVs as well as household and commercial goods continue on a regular basis.

However, imports of Chinese vehicles through the Korala border have declined since the reopening of the Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani border points, which had previously been affected by floods and landslides.

Imported goods are transported around 14 km from the Korala border to the customs office for clearance before being taken to Pokhara via the 186-km Korala–Jomsom–Beni road. Although imports were temporarily affected by disputes over alleged tax evasion involving electric vehicles, containers from China are now entering regularly.

While the Chinese side of the Korala border is equipped with modern infrastructure and advanced facilities, the Nepali side continues to face difficulties due to the lack of the minimum physical infrastructure required for customs operations.

By Hari Krishna Sharma