The Department of Trade, Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Employment in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) organized workshops on “Modalities for the Development and Operation of Dry ports” and “Supply Chain Study on Selected Bhutanese Products”, on November 25, 2024 at Hotel Le Meridien, Thimphu. These studies were conducted by the ADB at the request of the Department of Trade. The workshop was attended by key stakeholders from both the government and private sector.

The workshop on Dry port models was conducted in the morning and attended by about 30 participants from the key agencies. The workshop discussed the current operation of the dry port(s) in Bhutan, global best practices in efficient operation of dry ports and recommended suitable business and operating models for efficient operation of dry ports in Bhutan.

In the afternoon, a workshop on the supply chain study was conducted and was attended by more than 40 participants.

The workshop focused on the supply chain efficiency, trade logistics and facilitation measures for four selected Bhutanese products, namely, Bottled Water, Herbal Tea, Textile and Cosmetics and discussed challenges such as supply chain bottlenecks, regulatory issues and market-specific compliance requirements.

The workshop gathered valuable inputs from key stakeholders, ensuring the recommendations of the studies well-aligned with Bhutan’s unique needs to support Bhutan’s trade and economic development goals.