After a six-year gap, border trade between China and India via Lipulekh Pass in the Pithoragarh region of Uttarakhand is expected to restart this year, reported PTI.According to District Magistrate Ashish Bhatgai, preparations for the trade session, which normally takes place from June to September, have started in accordance with orders from the union government. The Ministry of External Affairs issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC), which prompted the action.The District Magistrate states that Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan received a letter from Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri asking for the reopening of trade across the Himalayan route. The Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry have also issued permissions, according to the letter.According to Bhatgai, the state administration has been requested to instruct relevant departments to ensure that trade will resume for the 2026 session. To improve coordination between the two sides, Chinese counterparts would receive the contact information of local officials.The authorities providing trade passes, designated banks for currency exchange, the Customs Department, and the Dharchula administration have been instructed to draft a comprehensive action plan in order to assist the session. Transit camps, banking services, communication, security, and medical facilities for traders are all included in this.Lipulekh Pass has historically been used for trade. After the India-China War in 1962, it was initially banned but revived in 1991. Since then, Pithoragarh traders have made frequent trips to the Tibetan market of Taklakot to trade products. But in 2020, Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and trade were both suspended due to the Covid pandemic.Trade talks between China and India took longer, even though the yatra resumed in 2025. The administration has now cleared the path for commerce to resume following new negotiations.