FACILITATING OVERLAND TRADE IN BCIM: ISSUES AND WAYS FORWARD

This article examines the issues and proposes ways forward for facilitating overland trade within the BCIM (Bangladesh, China, India, and Myanmar) sub-regional grouping. It highlights the immense, yet largely untapped, potential for economic cooperation among these four contiguous countries. The study identifies the primary obstacles to overland trade, which are not tariffs but rather a lack of physical connectivity, cumbersome and non-harmonized customs procedures, and a range of other non-tariff and para-tariff barriers. The research also explores the political and security-related sensitivities that have historically inhibited the opening of land borders for trade. The paper then outlines a pragmatic and phased roadmap for facilitating overland trade. This includes prioritizing the development of key transport corridors, establishing integrated check-posts and single-window customs clearance systems, and simplifying visa and transit regimes. The analysis concludes that realizing the potential of BCIM requires a strong and sustained political commitment from all four countries to invest in the necessary "hardware" of infrastructure and the "software" of trade facilitation.

The Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) sub-region is a land of immense economic potential, but this potential has been severely constrained by the lack of overland trade and connectivity. This paper provides a detailed analysis of the issues and a clear roadmap for moving forward. The study begins by making a compelling economic case for facilitating overland trade, arguing that it would significantly reduce transport costs, boost local economies in the border regions, and create a more integrated and dynamic economic space. The core of the article is a systematic identification and analysis of the key barriers. The most significant barrier identified is the "hardware" deficit: the poor state of the road and rail infrastructure that connects the four countries. The paper also provides a detailed examination of the "software" barriers: the complex and often-archaic customs and transit procedures that make cross-border trade a slow, expensive, and unpredictable process. Having diagnosed the problems, the paper then shifts to a solution-oriented focus. It proposes a series of concrete and actionable "ways forward." This includes a call for a coordinated, multilateral investment plan for the development of specific transport corridors, such as the one connecting Kolkata to Kunming via Dhaka and Mandalay. It also advocates for the negotiation of a comprehensive BCIM transport and transit agreement to harmonize procedures and cut through the red tape. The findings suggest that a pragmatic, step-by-step approach focused on improving connectivity is the key to unlocking the vast economic potential of the BCIM region.