Covert Chinese Trade With North Korea Moves Into the Open
China is no longer trying to hide smuggling activity as it seeks to help Pyongyang endure sanctions, U.S. officials say
A satellite photos provided by the United Nations Security Council showed a Chinese-flagged barge being loaded coal at North Korea’s Nampo in June, and North Korean-flagged coal vessels near Ningbo-Zhoushan in China in August
“North Korea is not bothering with this anymore. The shipments are directly from North Korea to China,” the U.S. official said. “That is definitely a big change from what we saw initially after the adoption of sanctions ”
Assuming the coal sold for $80 to $100 a ton in 2020, the value of the North Korea exports would range between $330 million and $410 million. The revenue is particularly significant given North Korea’s decision to cut cross-border trade with China to try to insulate itself from the global pandemic.
North Korea has other forms of illicit revenue, U.S. and U.N. experts say. the U.S. alleged that China hosts at least 20,000 North Korean laborers, who send their earnings home.
Source: WSJ #Dec07
https://www.wsj.com/articles/covert-chinese-trade-with-north-korea-moves-into-the-open-11607345372?st=0vx98kq7kj4relh&reflink=article_copyURL_share
#NorthKorea #China #USSanction #Smuggling
China is no longer trying to hide smuggling activity as it seeks to help Pyongyang endure sanctions, U.S. officials say
A satellite photos provided by the United Nations Security Council showed a Chinese-flagged barge being loaded coal at North Korea’s Nampo in June, and North Korean-flagged coal vessels near Ningbo-Zhoushan in China in August
“North Korea is not bothering with this anymore. The shipments are directly from North Korea to China,” the U.S. official said. “That is definitely a big change from what we saw initially after the adoption of sanctions ”
Assuming the coal sold for $80 to $100 a ton in 2020, the value of the North Korea exports would range between $330 million and $410 million. The revenue is particularly significant given North Korea’s decision to cut cross-border trade with China to try to insulate itself from the global pandemic.
North Korea has other forms of illicit revenue, U.S. and U.N. experts say. the U.S. alleged that China hosts at least 20,000 North Korean laborers, who send their earnings home.
Source: WSJ #Dec07
https://www.wsj.com/articles/covert-chinese-trade-with-north-korea-moves-into-the-open-11607345372?st=0vx98kq7kj4relh&reflink=article_copyURL_share
#NorthKorea #China #USSanction #Smuggling
WSJ
Covert Chinese Trade With North Korea Moves Into the Open
China is increasingly flouting international sanctions on North Korea and is no longer trying to hide some of its smuggling activity as it seeks to help Pyongyang endure sanctions, U.S. officials say.