NEW DELHI: India has said it is aware of Nepal’s enforcement of a pre-existing customs provision requiring duty on goods worth over 100 Nepali rupees brought in by cross-border travellers, even as it flagged concerns over the impact on routine movement along the open border.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Thursday said the step appears to be aimed at curbing “informal trade and smuggling”, adding that Kathmandu has clarified that civilians carrying household goods for personal use will not be obstructed. India, he said, remains “engaged on the developments.”
The move marks a stricter implementation of existing customs rules by Nepal, which historically remained loosely enforced along the 1,750-km open India-Nepal border, one of the few in the world allowing free movement of people without visas.
For decades, residents on both sides have depended on frequent cross-border movement for daily essentials, small trade and livelihood, with Nepali citizens routinely purchasing goods from Indian border towns due to lower prices and availability.
Recent enforcement, however, has altered this long-standing pattern. Nepal has begun levying customs duties on items exceeding 100 Nepali rupees, triggering protests in border regions and disrupting local economies.
According to Nepalese reports, the crackdown is primarily aimed at checking small-scale smuggling and revenue leakage, as informal trade across the porous frontier had largely bypassed customs channels.
The stricter checks have already reduced footfall in Indian border markets and raised concerns among traders and local communities on both sides who rely heavily on this cross-border ecosystem.