KOLKATA: Shyama Prasad Mookerjee (SMP) Port, Kolkata, on Tuesday said it will extend all support to trade for smooth cargo movement to Nepal in view of the ongoing crisis in the neighbouring country.
Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli resigned amid massive anti-government protests, during which demonstrators vandalised the parliament building and attacked the residences of several top politicians, including President Ramchandra Paudel.
SMP Port Deputy Chairman Samrat Rahi told PTI that Nepal is a key user of Kolkata port facilities for third-country trade, with most of its cargo moving by rail.
"We are closely monitoring the situation. So far, there has been no request for special support, but we are always accommodative for any assistance or relaxation for the trade if the need arises due to the unrest," Rahi said.
He added that container freight stations with warehousing facilities near the borders of both countries are expected to ensure continuity in operations, and delay in unloading and discharge of Nepal-bound cargo at the port are unlikely.
Trade with Nepal is important, though in volume terms its share is in single digits of the port's overall annual cargo.
Nepal's transit trade is primarily routed through Kolkata, Haldia and Visakhapatnam ports under the India-Nepal Treaty of Transit.
India is Nepal's largest trading partner, accounting for about 63 per cent of its overall trade.
Bilateral trade stood at around USD 8.02 billion in 2024-25, of which India's exports to Nepal were USD 7.3 billion.
Exports from India, including petroleum, iron and steel, automobiles, machinery and cereals, contribute nearly 16 per cent to Nepal's GDP.
In FY 2023-24, Nepal exported cardamom, iron sheets, edible oil, juices, plywood and jute, with India absorbing nearly 68 per cent of its outbound shipments.