A series of landslides have halted dozens of containers filled with goods worth millions, specifically aimed at the Dashain and Tihar festivals, from entering Nepal. The containers, which were being transported via the Tatopani and Rasuwa border points connected with China, remain stranded on the Chinese side, resulting in substantial losses for Nepalese businesses.

The items, imported mainly for the Tihar festival, include decorative electric lights, and fruits such as apples, pears, guavas, and spices. Many traders are now facing losses amounting to millions of rupees as these products, particularly fruits with short shelf lives, deteriorate rapidly.

Flooding in mid-September caused severe damage to key roads and bridges at the Tatopani and Rasuwa checkpoints, blocking the entry of hundreds of containers. According to customs records, goods worth nearly 400 million rupees, including electric items bought for Tihar, have failed to enter Nepal. Last year, customs at Tatopani reported imports of apples and other fruits amounting to 4.65 billion rupees, which contributed over 1 billion rupees in revenue.

Both customs offices have indicated that approximately 10 billion rupees worth of fruits are imported annually, with high sales during Dashain and Tihar. However, this year, businesses have reported significant losses on perishable fruits and seasonal Tihar items, now expected to remain unsold until the next festival season.

Ram Chandra Timilsina, Secretary of the Nepal Himalayan Cross-Border Trade Association, said that while some ready-made clothes managed to enter, most festive items, particularly electric lights and fruits, remain stranded. Rajesh Bhandari, a fruit importer, noted that due to the lack of quarantine clearance, containers loaded with fruits have begun rotting and are being dumped in Tibet. Additionally, containers carrying mangoes have been redirected from the Kerung checkpoint to a dumping site 70 kilometres back into Tibet due to spoilage.

Goods purchased specifically for the festival season, including ready-made clothes, footwear, and accessories, also risk spoiling as they sit in warehouses, with fashion trends potentially shifting by next year.

Local traders have expressed concerns over the increasing frequency of natural disaster-caused disruptions along the Tatopani and Rasuwa trade routes, pointing out that the Tatopani border point, which reopened in 2019 after being closed for four years due to the 2015 earthquake, has faced consistent challenges, including the recent flooding that swept away key bridges in Larcha and Liping.

With sales of imported goods for Dashain and Tihar severely affected this year, many Nepali businesses are left with considerable stockpiles and potential losses, unable to meet the seasonal demand of local consumers.