The Philippines’ suspension of trade with North Korea in the wake of its sixth nuclear test in September appears to have expired two months later, with exports to the DPRK resuming at their previous levels in December.

In the months following the test, media reports and government announcements suggested that the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore had blocked all trade with North Korea.

“We can say we have suspended trade relations with North Korea,” Philippines foreign minister Alan Peter Cayetano said in comments carried by Reuters on September 8.

Although successive UN resolutions now prohibit