India-China border trade via Lipulekh Pass to resume after six years

Pithoragarh: Border trade between India and China through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district is expected to restart this year, ending a six-year suspension.

District Magistrate Ashish Bhatgai said preparations are underway following directions from the Union government. The trading window, usually held between June and September, is being planned after the Ministry of External Affairs issued a No Objection Certificate.

Bhatgai said Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has written to Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, seeking the revival of trade through the high-altitude route. The communication noted that clearances have also been granted by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The state government has been asked to coordinate with relevant departments to ensure that the 2026 trading season proceeds smoothly. Officials said contact details of local authorities will be shared with Chinese counterparts to strengthen coordination on both sides of the border.

Instructions have been issued to agencies responsible for issuing trade passes, along with designated banks handling currency exchange, the Customs Department and the Dharchula administration. Authorities are working on a detailed plan covering transit camps, communication systems, banking arrangements, security and medical support for traders.

Border trade through Lipulekh had resumed in 1992 but was halted in 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jeevan Singh Ronkali, president of the Simant Vyapar Sangathan, welcomed the move, saying traders would now be able to recover goods left in warehouses in Tibet’s Taklakot.