North Korean imports of Chinese-made cell phones soared in the first five months of 2017, with shipments nearly matching those for the whole of the previous year, figures from Chinese customs compiled by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) show.

Trade in Chinese-made cell phones appeared to have dipped in recent years from 2014 highs of $82 million, but recently released data from Beijing’s customs administration indicates trade has rebounded in 2017.

North Korean traders spent nearly $50 million importing cell phones in China between January and May this year, compared with a $59 million total for 2016, the numbers indicate