China’s imports of North Korean coal in February were lower than the previous month, indicating traders had not yet approached a UN-mandated limit – contrary to claims from China’s foreign ministry – according to figures on the UN 1718 committee website.

The updated figures show China imported 1,232,000 tonnes of the DPRK’s coal in February, bringing the 2017 total to 2,673,985, or 35 percent of a cap outlined in UN Resolution 2321.

“Total exports to all Member States of coal originating in the DPRK that in the aggregate do not exceed 400,870,018 US dollars or 7,500,000 metric tons per year, whichever is