Rasuwa Customs Office in Timure is close to meeting its annual revenue collection target, four months before the end of the current fiscal year. The office has collected revenue worth Rs7.25 billion in the first eight months of the current fiscal year, against the annual target of Rs7.62 billion, said Punya Bikram Khadka, chief of the office. The highest monthly collection of Rs2.32 billion was recorded in the September-October period when imports soared due to the demand fuelled by Dashain and Tihar shoppers in Nepal.   

The Rasuwagadhi-Kerung border crossing was opened in December 2014 and has been the only point of bilateral trade between Nepal and China.

In August 2017, the northern neighbour granted the Rasuwagadhi-Kerung route a status of international checkpoint following intense efforts from Nepali side after Tatopani, the major point between Nepal and China, remained shut due to extensive damage caused by the devastating earthquake of April 25, 2015. Since then, Rasuwagadhi-Kerung route has been the key trading route between Nepal and China. Traders said that imports from the northern border point have been increasing at a rapid pace but exports have been nominal.

Despite the fact that Rasuwagadhi is an international customs point connected with China, proper facilities are lacking on the Nepal side of the border.  More than 250 containers pass through the border post every day. The customs office is located at Timure which is 1.5 km from the border. A parking yard for containers is lacking. Whenever a large number of containers arrive, customs inspection has to be done by the roadside.

The customs officials said that work comes to a halt when it rains as inspection has to be done under the open sky. There is no electricity as the temporary yard is located on the banks of a river, and it is difficult to work at night, they said. Besides, there are frequent occurrences of goods theft and damage as the facility is not properly managed, traders said. Landslides, dust storms and stones rolling down cliffs are common occurrences during the monsoon season.