India and China are set to resume border trade through the Nathu La Pass in East Sikkim on August 1, following a six-year gap that began during the Covid-19 pandemic. The suspension of cross-border trade through the historic mountain pass started in 2020 and affected traders and border communities in the Sikkim region.
According to reports, the resumption marks a restart of the Silk Route trading arrangement that has historically connected markets across the India–China border via Nathu La. The outlets also note that the prolonged halt since the pandemic has disrupted livelihoods dependent on the movement of goods through the pass.
As the August 1 date approaches, the reports frame the move as the reopening of trade activities between the two countries through Nathu La Pass, rather than an immediate expansion of other forms of cross-border activity. The information currently centers on the timing and the fact of the restart after the pandemic-era suspension.
