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20:08, 24-Oct-2017
China lead, coal imports from DPRK plunge after UN sanctions
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China’s imports of iron ore and lead concentrate from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) have plunged to their lowest in more than six years, according to new data.
Coal arrivals also fell sharply, the data showed on Tuesday.
Lead ore and concentrate arrivals totaled just 1,321 tonnes, worth 1.18 million US dollars, down 84 percent from a year earlier, according to the figures from China's General Administration of Customs.
Iron ore shipments plunged 98 percent to 3,035 tonnes, worth about 55,000 US dollars, the lowest monthly volume tracked by Reuters since January 2011.
China imported 511,619 tonnes of coal, worth about 44 million US dollars, from the DPRK, down 71.6 percent from a year earlier.
The data represents the final shipments allowed through customs before the UN penalties came into force on Sept. 5, banning DPRK from selling coal, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood abroad.
Numbers released last week showed trade between the world’s second-largest economy and its northeastern neighbor totaled 412 million US dollars, the weakest since April.
UN Security Council sanctions on DPRK that seek to rein in its missile program took effect this month.
Gasoline exports were the lowest since January 2016, and diesel sales were the smallest since May.
Source(s): Reuters