Cargo containers started entering Nepal through the Tatopani border point on Thursday after nearly three weeks of disruption caused by a landslide at Kodari along the Araniko Highway.

According to the Tatopani Customs Office, 44 cargo containers and several electric vehicles crossed into Nepal through the landslide-affected section after clearing the road. On Thursday evening, 20 empty containers were also sent to the border, with more following on Friday. These containers will bring goods from the Miteri Bridge to the customs yard.

Buddharaj Basnet, Sindhupalchok chapter chair of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said the road has remained stable, allowing containers to move without major obstacles. He said the last container entered the customs yard on August 2.

During the closure, porters had to carry perishable goods such as apples, pears, mangoes, grapes, garlic, kiwi, and spices to the yard.

Traders suffered heavy losses as fruits worth millions of rupees were spoiled. Some goods started rotting inside containers, forcing importers to hire porters. “Transporting a single container this way costs nearly Rs150,000 extra,” said Rajesh Bhandari, executive member of the Nepal Trans-Himalaya Border Commerce Association.

He said that importers have faced significant yearly losses due to floods and landslides.

Since the June 8 floods shut down the Rasuwagadhi border point, all northern trade with China has been diverted to Tatopani.

But the landslide, about 2 km south of the Miteri Bridge, halted imports, bringing revenue collection down to 44 percent in mid-July to mid-August, said customs officer Surya Kafle.

According to him, revenue from fruits is limited, and smoother imports of commercial goods such as garments and footwear are needed.

Ramhari Karki, president of the Nepal Trans Himalaya Border Commerce Association, said hundreds of containers are still en route from Nyalam to Khasa, carrying mainly garments and other goods targeting Dashain. He warned that delays could affect nationwide supply and sales.

Basnet warned that the resumption of container movement is only temporary. “This is not a lasting solution. The road could be blocked again during the monsoon,” he said.

Road Division officials also noted that while debris is being cleared along the lower section of the Bhote Koshi river, fresh landslides remain a constant risk to traffic.

The highway linking Tatopani was closed four years after the 2015 earthquake and remains in poor condition from Bahrabise to the Miteri Bridge. With Rasuwagadhi out of operation until China installs a Bailey bridge, Tatopani is expected to remain the main trade route despite its fragile infrastructure.

Nepali containers can only cross the Miteri Bridge and travel about three km into Chinese territory. Chinese transport firms bring containers up to Khasa, from where Nepali operators haul them to the Tatopani customs yard.