North Korea increased its rice imports from China last month, it was found. ‘Ferrosilicon’, which emerged as North Korea’s largest export product after international sanctions against North Korea in full swing, was exported to China in the largest amount this year. Reporter Ham Ji-ha reports.
Last month, the item North Korea imported the most was rice.
As a result of VOA examining detailed data on ‘North Korea-China trade’ from the General Administration of Customs of China, North Korea imported about 10,000 tons of polished rice worth US$ 5,155,500 from China in July.
Since importing US$7.79 million worth of rice from China in October 2019, it is the largest monthly import in 2 years and 10 months.
North Korea imported 70 million dollars worth of rice annually from China until 2019, but in 2020, the first year of the novel coronavirus outbreak, significantly lowered its rice imports to China to 588,920 dollars, and imported no rice at all in 2021.
This year, rice imports were recorded in March and April, with imports of $111,240 and $393,000, respectively, far below the $5 million level imported last month.
The background of North Korea’s sudden increase in rice imports is unclear, but attention is focused on whether it stems from a food shortage that has been raised in recent months.
During this period, North Korea’s second-largest imported item was cigarettes with an import value of 2.46 million dollars, followed by disodium carbonate (2.38 million dollars, 6371 tons) and natural rubber sheets (22.6 million dollars, 1,84 tons).
Earlier, the General Administration of Customs of China said that North Korea’s imports from China last month amounted to $59.74 million. This is an increase of approximately 209% over the previous month’s $19.3 million.
In addition, exports to China were reported to be 12.98 million dollars, up 423% from the previous month.
However, as the VOA looked at the details of exports to China, it was found that North Korea’s exports during this period included $2,145,949 in ‘electricity’.
In general, it is known that North Korea has recorded electricity produced by China as an export when it draws from a joint hydroelectric power plant, and as an import when it draws it.
Taking these facts into account, North Korea’s actual imports from China during this period are estimated to be about $18.4 million.
The item that North Korea exported the most during this period was ‘ferrosilicon,’ which recorded an export value of $3.96 million.
Ferrosilicon is a silicon source used in the steel manufacturing process, and North Korea has shown a trend of increasing exports of ferrosilicon, an unsanctioned product, as the export of minerals and textile products is blocked due to international sanctions against North Korea.
North Korea’s ferrosilicon exports last month amounted to 3.96 million dollars, the highest this year.
North Korea left a record of ferrosilicon exports to China in January, March, May, and June of this year, with monthly exports ranging from a minimum of $590,000 to a maximum of $2.69 million.
Excluding ferrosilicon, the items that North Korea exported the most to China were ‘molybdenum mine and other products of its concentrate’ worth US$ 2.68 million, followed by ‘raw silk’ (US$ 1.12 million) and silicon carbide (US$ 1.12 million). $607,000) and experimental mannequins ($600,000).
This is Jiha Ham from VOA News.