The value of official trade between North Korea and China rose for the first time in at least three months, according to new data from China’s General Administration of Customs, reversing a trend of plummeting Chinese exports that dominated much of 2020.

For more than a year now, North Korea’s border trade has been severely impacted by COVID-19, with monthly total trade values falling an average of 83% year-over-year in 2020. However, a top Russian diplomat recently said that North Korea is gearing up for increased trade along the border, and NK Pro also found evidence of new