A forthcoming U.N. sanctions report identifies two Chinese shipyard firms as entities of interest in North Korea’s acquisition of at least five ships since 2020, raising questions about their level of involvement in the DPRK’s sanctions-busting supply chain.

Though U.N. sanctions prohibit Pyongyang from acquiring used vessels since 2017, the Panel of Experts report identifies six aging vessels introduced to North Korea’s fleet between 2020 and 2022.

At least five were processed through two Chinese shipyard firms over extended periods of time, suggesting possible complicity in illicit transfers to the North.

Taizhou