North Korea’s imports of gasoline and regular diesel from China tumbled in January, hitting levels well below monthly averages, data from Chinese customs compiled by the Korean International Trade Association (KITA) shows.

But the low imports are unlikely to be related to any wider political pressures, and the North’s fuel imports often show sharp monthly swings. Diesel imports dropped to zero in July last year, only to resume the following month.

According to the January trade figures, diesel shipments from China dropped to just 153 tonnes, while gasoline exports totaled 2000 tonnes over the same