KATHMANDU, Feb 12: The government has tightened the noose for importing garlic from China, citing the excessive imported garlic could be smuggled to India.
The government has tightened restrictions in line with the concerns expressed by the Indian government in bilateral trade talks last month. The Indian side has been strongly opposing the growing smuggling of Chinese garlic to India.
According to an official at the Department of Customs (DoC), about 15 trucks loaded with garlic imported from China have been waiting for customs clearance at the Tatopani border point. “As the imported garlic is estimated to be sufficient to meet the current market demand, the government has tightened further import of the agro product,” the source said.
The DoC records show that the country imported garlic worth Rs 6.18 billion from China during mid-July 2024 and mid-January 2025. In the review period last year, the import was recorded at only Rs 877.70 million. In the corresponding period of the fiscal year 2022/23, it was only Rs 518.50 million.
Meanwhile, importers have objected to the government attempt to impose restrictions on garlic imports, arguing that goods certified by China should not face additional hurdles in Nepal. They claim that stopping imports instead of addressing smuggling directly is an unfair approach that disrupts legitimate trade. Many have raised concerns that large quantities of their garlic shipments remain stranded at customs checkpoints due to the restrictions.