Chinese exports of diesel, gasoline and aviation kerosene to North Korea showed large increases over the first 11 months of 2014 when compared to the same period in the previous year, recent Chinese customs data indicates.

The uptick in North Korean imports of refined oil products could indicate possible refinery problems in the DPRK, which currently only has one working oil refinery, though experts warn numerous factors could be at play.

Diesel saw the sharpest increase in Chinese supply, with zero North Korean imports in 2013, but nearly 40,000 tons between January and November last year.

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