▲ An image about restrictions on refined petroleum exports to North Korea (Yonhap)

China-NK sanctions

China reports exporting nearly 100,000 barrels of petroleum to N. Korea this year

SEOUL, Sept. 23 (Yonhap) -- China exported a total of nearly 100,000 barrels of refined petroleum to North Korea in the first five months of this year, reports the country filed to the United Nations showed Tuesday.

China was the only country to report its refined petroleum exports to North Korea to the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions committee, listing 99,220 barrels so far this year, according to the committee's website.

The export volume reached 14,385 barrels in January, 5,519 barrels in February, 15,358 barrels in March, 23,652 barrels in April and 40,304 barrels in May. No further records were posted on the website.

In 2017, the UNSC adopted a resolution capping petroleum exports to North Korea at 500,000 barrels per year, in response to its internationally prohibited intercontinental ballistic missile launch earlier that year.

Countries supplying petroleum to North Korea, such as China, have since been required to report their exports monthly, but China has not been fully compliant.

The petroleum exports China has reported so far account for nearly 20 percent of the UNSC's annual limit, although much more is widely believed to be shipped to North Korea under the radar.

Since January last year, Russia, another key petroleum exporter to North Korea, has entirely skipped its mandatory reports to the UNSC.

According to a report in May by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, Russia provided the North with more than 1 million barrels of fuel between March and October last year.

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