KATHMANDU: Among the more than two dozen customs checkpoints operating in Nepal, only a few contribute significantly to the country’s total import volume, with most accounting for less than 1%, according to five-year data from the Customs Department.
Of the 29 customs checkpoints in operation, fewer than a dozen contribute more than 1% to the total imports. The Birgunj customs checkpoint remains the largest entry point, handling nearly one-third of Nepal’s total imports, while the remaining 28 checkpoints account for the rest.
However, data indicate a declining trend in imports through major checkpoints such as Birgunj, Bhairahawa, Biratnagar, and Tribhuvan International Airport. In contrast, imports from the Tatopani and Rasuwa customs checkpoints along the Nepal-China border have been increasing.
In the fiscal year 2021-22, 36.78% of Nepal’s imports came through the Birgunj checkpoint. However, in the first six months of the current fiscal year, this figure has dropped to 33.53%. Similarly, the Bhairahawa checkpoint, which accounted for 15.40% of imports in 2021-22, now handles 15.07%.
Meanwhile, imports through the Rasuwa checkpoint rose from 1.39% in 2021-22 to 4.96% in the first six months of this fiscal year. The Tatopani checkpoint saw a similar rise, increasing from 0.73% in 2022 to 3.05 percent in the same period this year.
Several smaller customs checkpoints, including Jaleshwor, Suthauli, Sunsari, Gaur, Sarlahi, Janakpur, Kanchanpur, and others, each account for less than 1% of total imports.
The data highlight a concentration of trade through a few key entry points, with a growing shift toward Nepal-China border trade.
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