NN Online:
India’s recent decision to terminate the transshipment facility for Bangladeshi goods will not affect shipments to Nepal or Bhutan, according to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
On Wednesday, India revoked a vital transit service that allowed Bangladesh to send its export cargo to third countries via Indian land customs stations en route to ports and airports. However, the MEA clarified that this decision will not impede Bangladesh’s trade with Bhutan or Nepal using Indian territory.
The MEA stated, “The transshipment facility granted to Bangladesh has led to significant congestion at our airports and ports over time, causing logistical delays and increased costs that have hindered our own exports and created backlogs.” Consequently, the facility was withdrawn effective April 8, 2025, with the assurance that these changes do not impact Bangladesh’s exports to Nepal or Bhutan.
India’s Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) announced this decision on Tuesday, implementing it immediately.
Initially introduced in June 2020, this facility facilitated the transshipment of Bangladeshi goods destined for third countries like Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar through Indian land routes, streamlining the export process to neighboring nations.
Under the new guidelines, Bangladeshi goods currently in transit will still be allowed to leave India through the existing process; however, no new consignments will qualify for transshipment. This suspension is expected to disrupt Bangladesh’s export and import operations, particularly as countries like Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar rely on Indian infrastructure for accessing third-country markets, as reported by the Indian Express citing the CBIC circular.
