BEIJING, March 20 (Reuters) - China's overall exports to
North Korea more than doubled in the first two months of 2023
from a year earlier, with major exports including granulated
sugar, soybean oil and rice, Chinese customs data showed on
Monday.
Chinese outbound shipments to the isolated country surged
161.5% year-on-year to $300.5 million in January-February, data
released by China's General Administration of Customs showed.
The top export items in terms of value were granulated
sugar, wool for wig production, soybean oil, rice, and rubber
tyres.
South Korea's DongA Ilbo newspaper reported in mid-February
that North Korean food crisis may have deteriorated as the
country has cut rations to its soldiers for the first time in
more than two decades.
In recent decades, North Korea has suffered serious food
shortages, including a famine in the 1990s, often as a result of
natural disasters such as floods damaging harvests.
Pyongyang in January outlined plans to normalise industrial
production, aiming to make 2023 "a year of great turn and change
in the course of development".
Even as it hailed the successful tackling of the COVID-19
outbreak last year, Pyongyang bought 13.57 million masks from
China in the first two months, up 214.8% year-on-year, the
Chinese customs data showed.
It also imported 94,390 thermometers and 60,500 pairs of
medical rubber gloves from China.
(Reporting by Ellen Zhang and Ryan Woo; Editing by Varun H K)
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.