STORY: Nepal imports 1st batch of goods under transit arrangement with China
DATELINE: Sept. 8, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:13
LOCATION: Kathmandu
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the ceremony 
2. SOUNDBITE (English): MADHU KUMAR MARASINI, Secretary of Nepal's ministry of industry, commerce and supplies

STORYLINE:

Nepal has shipped its first batch of imported goods under the transit arrangement with China, a move that "represents the dawn of a new era" in bilateral trade relations, as a Nepali official put it on Thursday.
   
Fifteen tons of turmeric powder was imported from Vietnam and brought to the Nepali capital of Kathmandu on the day via the Tianjin port in north China and the Zhangmu-Tatopani border point.

SOUNDBITE (English): MADHU KUMAR MARASINI, Secretary of Nepal's ministry of industry, commerce and supplies
"The commencement of the first batch of goods under the Nepal-China Transit Transport Agreement represents the dawn of a new era in our trade relations. 
It signifies the beginning of a transformative journey toward enhanced economic cooperation, increased trade volumes and shared prosperity."
   
He spoke highly of the transit transport agreement signed in 2016 and the subsequent protocol signed in 2019, saying they have "the potential to bring about profound changes in our trade landscape."

The transit arrangement "provides us with a crucial alternative trade route and diversifies our trade options, reducing our reliance on a single transit route," Marasini said.
   
As a landlocked country, Nepal has been mostly relying on India for trading with third countries.

"By using Tianjin port, goods were transported to the Tatopani port within two weeks," noted Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song.
   
Under the transit deals, China allows Nepal to use Tianjin, Shenzhen, Lianyungang and Zhanjiang as well as Lanzhou, Lhasa and Shigatse to handle traffic-in-transit.
   
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kathmandu.
(XHTV)