China will ban all imports of coal from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) as of February 19, in accordance with the UN Security Council resolution 2321, China's Ministry of Commerce announced in a statement on its website on Saturday.
The ban is effective until December 31.
Earlier this week, China rejected a shipment of coal worth one million US dollars from the DPRK citing mercury levels higher than the allowed limits.
Pyongyang launched a ballistic missile on Sunday towards the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, drawing international condemnation and opposition from Beijing.
The move was the latest in a series of ballistic missile and nuclear tests, which gained momentum last year, prompting heavy sanctions.
China's Commerce Ministry posted a statement on its website on Saturday February 18, 2017 announcing an immediate ban on coal imports from the DPRK.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier this week that “it always implements the UN Security Council resolutions.”
The UNSC unanimously adopted Resolution 2321 in 2016.
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