LHASA — Cargo imported and exported through the border port of Gyirong in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region increased by 27.8 percent year-on-year in Q1, local customs said Tuesday.

From January to March, 26,100 metric tons of cargo was cleared through the port which is located on the China-Nepal border.

"Both the amount of cargo and number of people passing through the port have been growing. The port will become an important center for trade and logistics between China and South Asia," said Tenzin Phuntsog, director of the inspection department at Gyirong Customs.

The port has helped companies to install scanning equipment and improved efficiency in clearing goods, he said.

In 2016, trade volume through the port was 3.4 billion yuan ($490 million), a 4.5-fold increase from 2015.

Gyirong now undertakes the functions of the former Zham port, which cleared about 90 percent of land-borne trade between China and Nepal before a massive earthquake devastated Nepal and some border areas in Tibet on April 25, 2015.