N. Korea-China trade rises 12.7% in 1st quarter

In the first quarter of this year, when the U.N. Security Council launched sanctions against North Korea, the North Korea-China trade volume has increased by 12.7 percent year-on-year. China, which started sanctions against the North on April 5, has cautioned stretching of the meaning saying that the figures were made before China launched the sanctions. However, the country refused to open up trade figures for March when U.N.’s sanctions started. This raises speculations that China, which is saying it is pressuring North Korea, is acting in an opposite direction.

Hwang Sungping, spokesman of the Chinese Maritime Customs Service, said Wednesday at a press briefing to explain about trade statistics, that North Korea-China trade reached 1.2 billion dollars in the first quarter, which is an increase of 12.7 percent year-on-year. Exports to North Korea reached 611 million dollars, up 14.7 percent, and imports from North Korea were 591 million dollars, down 10.8 percent year-on-year. China’s major export items to North Korea include machinery and electronics, and labor-intensive products such as textile and clothing, as well as farm products, while imports include coal and iron ore.

The first quarter's trade statistics were announced during a Q&A session and were not an official announcement. As speculation rose that trade volume increased even after the U.N. Security Resolution No. 2270 was adopted on March 3, China’s customs service rushed to respond. “China immediately carried out the resolution after announcing the plans for North Korea sanctions on March 5,” Hwang said. “The North Korea-China trade data in the first quarter has no relationship with North Korea sanctions.”

On demands by reporters to open up the North-China trade data in March when the U.N. started the sanctions, he refused to open it up by saying that they don’t have monthly statistics, refusing to open them up.