North Korea may have exceeded a United Nations-imposed yearly fuel cap just one month into 2020, surpassing the 500,000-barrel limit by January, according to a copy of the U.N. Panel of Experts midterm report seen by NK News. The potential revelation underscores North Korea's developed smuggling capabilities and limitations to how effective fuel sanctions can be.

The U.N. Panel of Experts report, which includes a July complaint against the DPRK from 43 countries in its annex, alleges that Pyongyang was able to overcome the 500,000 barrel cap on fuel imports via maritime smuggling from unnamed countries. The Panel alleged that, despite COVID-19 related impediments to movement and trade, 56 refined petroleum shipments were made between Jan. 1 and May 30.