India and Bhutan hold 7th Joint Group of Customs meeting in Munnar, Kerala
The 7th India–Bhutan Joint Group of Customs meeting was held in Munnar, Kerala, on 20–21 April 2026, co-chaired by CBIC Member (Customs) Yogendra Garg and Bhutan's Director General of Revenue and Customs Sonam Jamtsho.
Summary
The 7th Joint Group of Customs (JGC) meeting between India and Bhutan was held in Munnar, Kerala, on 20–21 April 2026. It was co-chaired by Yogendra Garg, Special Secretary and Member (Customs), Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), and Sonam Jamtsho, Director General of Bhutan's Department of Revenue and Customs. The two sides discussed coordinated border management, an MoU on pre-arrival exchange of customs data, anti-smuggling cooperation, digitisation, and transit cargo under the Electronic Cargo Tracking System. India is Bhutan's largest trading partner, accounting for nearly 80% of Bhutan's trade, and bilateral trade exceeded $1.9 billion in FY 2024–25. There are 10 notified land customs stations on the India–Bhutan border: six in West Bengal and four in Assam.
Key facts
- Meeting
- 7th India–Bhutan Joint Group of Customs, Munnar (Kerala), 20–21 April 2026
- Co-chairs
- Yogendra Garg (CBIC) and Sonam Jamtsho (Bhutan)
- Agenda
- Coordinated border management; pre-arrival customs data MoU; ECTS transit cargo
- Trade
- India ~80% of Bhutan's trade; over $1.9 bn in FY 2024–25
- Land customs stations
- 10 on the border: West Bengal 6, Assam 4
Practice MCQs 2 questions
Where was the 7th India–Bhutan Joint Group of Customs meeting held in April 2026?
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Correct answer: D — Munnar
The 7th JGC meeting was held in Munnar, Kerala, on 20–21 April 2026.
Consider the following statements about India–Bhutan trade and customs, as stated by the Finance Ministry in April 2026: 1. All 10 notified land customs stations on the India–Bhutan border are located in West Bengal. 2. India accounts for nearly 80% of Bhutan's total trade. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: B — 2 only
Only 2 is correct. Of the 10 notified land customs stations, six are in West Bengal and four in Assam; India accounts for nearly 80% of Bhutan's trade.