Wigs and hair continued to dominate North Korea’s trade with China in the first two months of 2024, amid a decline in bilateral exchanges that one expert linked to a slump in the Chinese economy.

NK Pro analysis of line-item data from China’s General Administration of Customs shows that human and animal hair led the DPRK’s imports from its largest trade partner with nearly $26 million in January and $13.1 million in February.

Meanwhile, the wigs and other fake hair products that North Korea manufactures from such raw materials led exports at nearly $23 million in