Chinese exports to North Korea fell sharply in January, figures from Beijing’s customs administration show, even as imports from the DPRK remained constant at historically low levels.

Numbers from China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC) for overall trade with North Korea in dollar value terms showed a large decline in the first month of 2019, dropping from over $200 million to in December to $167 million the following month.

While international sanctions have likely played a role in limiting commercial interactions between North Korea and its largest trade partner, the January decrease could also be due