RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-2124
ANSWERED ON- 07/08/2025
BORDER TRADE AT NATHULA PASS
2124. SHRI DORJEE TSHERING LEPCHA
Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state :-
(a) whether Government has taken any measures for resumption of the Nathu La border trade;
(b) whether Government intends to introduce new protocols and emergency response systems to further bolster security in this region;
(c) the steps taken by Government towards resumption of the Nathu La border trade; and
(d) whether Government is formulating any policy for better management of trade, and effective support for economically weaker class of traders resided in remote border village of Indo- China Border ?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a to d) The existing bilateral arrangements designate three points for conducting border trade between India and China: Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand (since 1992), Shipki La Pass in Himachal Pradesh (since 1995), and Nathu La Pass in Sikkim (since July 2006). However, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, trade through all these points was disrupted and has not been resumed since. Government of India has engaged with the Chinese side to facilitate the resumption of border trade through all these trade routes.