The four-day 20th Pyongyang Spring International Trade Fair began on Monday, featuring the presence of some 230 foreign and domestic companies, official North Korean state media outlet the Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

But amid tightening sanctions that continue to erode investor confidence in the country, the presence of foreign companies at the fair – which takes place twice a year in Spring and Autumn – appears to have fallen compared to past events, state media coverage suggested.

“(The fair) will bring together more than 230 companies from the DPRK, Belarus, China, Iran, Italy, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cuba, Taipei