North Korean cereal imports from China fell sharply in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the last four months of the previous year, data shows, though the drop appears a part of cyclical import patterns.

Figures from Chinese customs collated by the ITC Trade Map show total cereal imports to North Korea falling from $18 million in 2018’s fourth quarter to $1.8 million in the first fourth months of 2019.

Cereal exports include staple food products rice, corn, and maize, though when broken down by quarter, DPRK demand oscillates between relatively high shipments to negligible shipments from quarter