Trucks now carry goods overland to Nepal

A truck loaded with micro cultivators departed on Tuesday from Chongqing and headed for Kathmandu, Nepal, marking the official opening of the Chongqing-Nepal (South Asia) cross-border highway route.

The truck, which left the Chongqing Nanpeng Highway Bonded Logistics Center, will follow the ancient Tea Horse Road (Southern Silk Road), passing through Sichuan province and the Tibet autonomous region and then crossing the border into Nepal at Tibet's Zhangmu port.

The line from Chongqing to Kathmandu is about 3,500 kilometers long. It cuts shipping time from Chongqing to Nepal from more than a month via India to about five to eight days directly from China via an overland road route, according to Chongqing Highway Transportation ASEAN International Logistics Co, which operates the route.

"The cross-border truck route changes Nepal's traditional international logistics mode. It creates a new international trade channel connecting Nepal with China's western inland regions and helps strengthen economic ties between Chongqing and Nepal," said Zeng Yi, general manager of the logistics company.