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China resumed freight trains to North Korea in January for the
first time since COVID-19 led to a border lockdown between the
two countries in early 2020, halting almost all trade.
The rebound in trade comes as the United States is urging the
U.N. Security Council to further sanction North Korea over its
renewed ballistic missile launches. North Korea has been
subjected to U.N. sanctions since 2006, although the Security
Council does allow for humanitarian exemptions.
In January-March, Chinese exports to North Korea leaped to
$173.4 million from only $13.0 million a year earlier, and
nearly recovered to the $215.3 million figure for the first
quarter of 2020, when COVID was just emerging. Imports more than
quintupled from a year earlier to $23.5 million, according to
the customs data.
For March alone, Chinese shipments to North Korea stood at $57
million, up from $13.0 million a year earlier, while imports
were at $3.5 million, versus $1.3 million in the previous year.
The top export items were edible oil and wheat flour.
North Korea bought $16.4 million of soybean oil, $5.1 million of
palm oil, $4.3 million of wheat flour and $4.1 million of soda
in the first quarter, the customs data showed.
North Korea has long suffered from food insecurity, with
observers saying mismanagement of its economy had been
exacerbated by sanctions and then the unprecedented border
lockdowns due to COVID-19.
China also exported $11.3 million of chemical compounds mostly
used in making steroids in the first three months. It also
shipped more than $3.7 million of tobacco to its neighbour.
The United States is also seeking a ban on tobacco to North
Korea. Its leader Kim Jong Un is known as a chain smoker, often
seen with a cigarette in hand in state media photographs.
(Reporting by Stella Qiu, Hallie Gu and Ryan Woo; Editing by
Edmund Klamann)
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