Tibet's passageway to South Asia strengthens foreign trade

LHASA, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Border policeman Aten finally finished another hard day of work after checking the documentation and cargo of the last outbound truck at Gyirong port, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, at around 2:00 a.m. on Monday.

Aten said that they have had to work late since the port reopened in late December and started seeing a steady flow of trucks carrying a diverse range of goods.

Gyirong port has played a significant role in the China-Nepal trade.

Known as the "the roof of the world", Tibet borders countries including Nepal and India. It has long been an important gateway for exchanges between China and South Asian countries. Over the past few years, the plateau region has accelerated opening up, constructing ports and facilities, as well as improving the business environment. These efforts have injected vitality into the development of foreign trade in the region.

Gyirong port is among the five port projects completed last year, which are expected to become important passageways linking the inland region with South Asia.

The region saw robust growth in foreign trade last year, posting a rise of 14.6 percent to 4.6 billion yuan (about 677 million U.S. dollars). The figure was 6.9 percentage points higher than the country's average growth rate for 2022.

The region's exports reached 4.3 billion yuan, while its imports stood at 292 million yuan last year, according to Lhasa Customs.

Private enterprises were big contributors to the region's foreign trade in 2022. Imports and exports by private firms stood at 4.49 billion yuan, accounting for 97.6 percent of the region's total foreign trade last year.

Pangyenmedo Industrial &Trading Company Ltd., produces and exports traditional Tibetan blankets.

"We have more than 100 workers, and our products are all handmade, which are very popular among European customers, including those from Germany and France," said Tseten, general manager of the company.

Tseten said the company also buys wool from local high-altitude areas and sells it to Nepal. Sales of the company reached nearly 40 million yuan last year.

Meanwhile, the region has optimized services for foreign trade enterprises and rolled out preferential policies to vigorously promote foreign trade.

Last year, Tibet traded with 95 countries and regions, an increase of 18 countries and regions compared with 2021. Its trade with Nepal reached 1.56 billion yuan, making Nepal its largest trading partner.