China Bans Condensate, LNG Export to North Korea

China has imposed a ban on the export of condensate oil and liquefied natural gas to North Korea taking effect on September 23, Chinese Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on Friday.

Furthermore, a restriction was imposed on export of refined oil products to North Korea from October 1 and textile imports from the country.

China is North Korea’s key supplier of oil products with 6,000 barrels of oil being exported to its neighbor on a daily basis.

The economic sanctions are being imposed in the wake of the diplomatic tensions arising from Pyongyang’s nuclear missile tests, and comply with the latest resolution adopted by the United Nations Security Council.

The new measures have been enforced on the heels of an executive order signed by the US President Donald Trump last week, targeting the country’s shipping industry, trade, ports, and manufacturing.

As a result, no vessel that has called at a port in North Korea within the previous 180 days, and no vessel that has engaged in a ship‑to‑ship transfer with such a vessel within the previous 180 days, may call at a port in the United States.

World Maritime News Staff