India-China Border Trade via Shipki La May Resume from 2025; Preparations Underway
Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh — Preparations have begun to resume India-China trade through the Shipki La pass, located in the Pooh subdivision of Kinnaur district. The Himachal Pradesh Industries Department has formally communicated with the Ministry of External Affairs, requesting necessary approvals and guidelines for initiating the trade.
The Indo-China Trade Association has applied for passes for 150 traders. Once the Ministry grants approval, the passes will be issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Kinnaur.
However, no guidelines have been issued yet this year, which has delayed the pass issuance. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has already announced that trade via Shipki La is expected to restart in 2025.
Shipki La was declared an official trade route under the 1994 India-China agreement. Trade used to take place annually between June 1 and November 30 until it was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent diplomatic visit by the Chinese Foreign Minister to India resulted in mutual consent to resume border trade.
Key Statements:
- Guru Lal Negi, Nodal Officer, India-China Border Trade: “Correspondence has been made with the Ministry of External Affairs. Trade will resume once official notification is issued.”
- Dr. Amit Kumar Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, Kinnaur: “We are fully prepared to resume trade via Shipki La; further action will follow once central guidelines are received.”
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