China did not import any North Korean coal in March – the first time since 2001 – according to figures released by China’s customs agency and collated by the Korean International Trade Association (KITA).

In February Beijing announced it would not import North Korean coal for the remainder of 2017 due to restrictions in UN Resolution 2321 passed in late 2016.

While imports diminished in January and February, Chinese customs data shows they dropped to zero in March. The ban appears to have been implemented for various types of coal, including anthracite and coal briquettes.

Prior to the