Overview
- Nepal is now strictly enforcing a duty on Indian goods valued over Rs 100 at border crossings with no exemptions for any traveler.
- The rule existed for about two years but saw sporadic use until the current push by Nepali border security.
- Checks have created long queues at Nepal’s Bhansar customs posts, where even small buys like tea or biscuits face inspection and payment.
- Nearly 50 rural markets in Bihar and supply hubs such as Banbasa in Uttarakhand report fewer Nepali shoppers and falling sales.
- Trade unions are urging exemptions for daily-use items to ease costs for Nepali households and to protect small retailers on both sides.