North Korean imports of Chinese gasoline and diesel were not exceptionally low in April, despite reports that Pyongyang and other parts of the country were seeing a spike in prices at the pump.

Data from China’s customs authority collated by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA) shows North Korean imports of Chinese fuel products were not unusually low in the fourth month of the year, and generally do not correlate with surging prices in Pyongyang.

Although both gasoline and diesel shipments did fall, the drops were not outside the normal ups and downs seen