As the world grappled with the COVID-19 outbreak in April, Chinese medicine exports to the DPRK remained largely stable, with one notable exception: tetracycline derivatives.

The shipment of over 15,000 kg in April represented a substantial spike compared to the zero imports in March and only 2550 kg in the combined January-February trade data from China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC).

Tetracyclines are a type of antibiotic generally agreed upon by doctors to represent a second-class drug, due to undesirable side effects and established bacterial resistance.

But they are preferred for specific infections, and