7 Additional Entry-Exit Points For India-Bhutan Trade

Following a Commerce Secretary-level meeting on trade and transit issues in New Delhi on Wednesday, India and Bhutan have formalized seven additional entry-exit points for trade.

BVR Subrahmanyam, who is the Secretary of Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, led the Indian delegation while representing Bhutan was Dasho Karma Tshering, Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Royal Government of Bhutan.

Measures to further strengthen bilateral trade relations, ways to increase trade connectivity between the two countries and other issues of mutual interest were discussed in length in the meeting.

The Letters of Exchange formalizes the following seven additional entry-exit points for trade:

• Nagarkata Land Customs Station without commodity restriction.
• Agartala Land Customs Station as an entry /exit point.
• Pandu port (Guwahati Steamerghat) as an entry /exit point, subject to cross border control at Dhubri.
• Jogighopa port as an entry/exit point, subject to cross border control at Dhubri.
• Asian Highway 48 connecting Torsha Tea Garden in India and Ahllay in Bhutan as an additional route corresponding to the Land Custom Station at Jaigaon.
• Kamardwisa as an entry/exit point.
• Birpara as an entry/exit point.

The above will be in addition to the Protocol of 2016 India-Bhutan Agreement on Trade, Commerce and Transit and will facilitate bilateral trade between the two countries.

Trade between India and Bhutan has more than doubled since 2014, from $484 million in 2014-15 to $1083 million in 2020-21.

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