BEIJING: Chinese customs authorities say the country’s imports from North Korea dropped sharply in November. This suggests that Beijing is implementing the UN Security Council sanctions resolutions against Pyongyang. The authorities say the volume of bilateral trade stood at 380 million dollars last month. That’s down 36 percent from a year earlier. Imports fell by 61 percent to 100 million dollars, following a similar level of decline in October. China has not imported any seafood from the North for 3 consecutive months. Coal and iron ore imports have been halted for the second month in a row. A resolution adopted in August bans UN members from importing these items from North Korea. China did not export any gasoline to North Korea for the second straight month, in compliance with another resolution that sets a limit on exports of oil products to the country.
The US Treasury Department released images last month that it says show a transfer of cargo, possibly oil, between a North Korean vessel and an unidentified ship.
