China imposes import bans on North Korean iron, coal and seafood

China is to stop importing coal, iron, iron ore and seafood from North Korea. The move is an implementation of UN sanctions, which were imposed in response to North Korea’s two missile tests last month.

China accounts for more than 90 per cent of North Korea’s international trade.

Beijing had pledged to fully enforce the sanctions after the US accused it of not doing enough to rein in its neighbour.

The UN approved sanctions against Pyongyang earlier this month that could cost the country US$1billion (F$2.02bn) a year in revenue, according to the figures provided to the Security Council by the US delegation. Although China’s coal imports from North Korea totalled US$1.2bn (F$2.42bn) last year, the figure will be much lower this year because China had already imposed a ban in February, experts said.

“China has already imported its quota of coal under sanctions for 2017. So no net impact there, and North Korean exports to other countries are minimal,” said David Von Hippel, from the Nautilus Institute -a think tank based in Oregon -who has researched North Korea’s coal sector. The sanctions might have more of an impact on iron and seafood, experts said.

Although they are both much smaller sources of export revenue for North Korea, the two industries have seen a rise in exports this year.

Bridge over the Yalu river near Dandong, which is where most goods cross between the two countries.