New Delhi: India and Nepal reviewed a range of trade and transit issues, including market access, customs facilitation, connectivity and measures to curb unauthorised cross-border trade, during a two-day bilateral meeting in New Delhi.
The India-Nepal Inter-Governmental Sub-Committee (IGSC) on Trade, Transit and Cooperation to Control Unauthorised Trade met at Vanijya Bhawan on September 16 and 17.
The Indian delegation was led by Commerce Ministry Joint Secretary Ujjwal Kumar Ghosh, while the Nepali side was headed by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Buddha Bahadur Gurung.
The two sides discussed market access for agricultural and dairy products, food items, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and AYUSH products. Standards, food safety and phytosanitary requirements were also reviewed.
Discussions on customs cooperation focused on pre-arrival information exchange, electronic verification of Certificates of Origin, customs automation and digitalisation. The objective was to facilitate legitimate trade while strengthening safeguards against misuse of preferential trade arrangements.
Transit and connectivity also figured prominently, with officials reviewing rail and road links, freight movement, Integrated Check Posts and land-port infrastructure.
Both sides discussed ways to improve the utilisation of existing infrastructure and address operational bottlenecks affecting bilateral and transit trade.
The countries also agreed to continue cooperation in standards, food safety, plant quarantine and conformity assessment, including institutional collaboration and capacity-building.
Officials stressed the need for continued coordination among relevant agencies to facilitate legitimate cross-border trade and tackle unauthorised trade and commercial fraud.
The meeting was held in a cordial and constructive atmosphere, with both sides agreeing to maintain engagement through established mechanisms and pursue time-bound follow-up on issues requiring further technical examination.
India remains Nepal’s largest trading partner and an important source of investment. The discussions are expected to strengthen bilateral trade, transit connectivity and wider economic cooperation.
