North Korea’s illicit imports of refined petroleum increased as much as 70% in 2022 compared to the year before, according to NK Pro analysis of figures in a forthcoming U.N. report.

But the total volume is still well below what the DPRK imported annually from 2018-2020, implying that ongoing COVID-19 border controls continue to limit  Pyongyang’s ability to import large volumes of refined fuel.

Data provided by a group of 52 member states to the U.N. Panel of Experts shows that North Korea may have illicitly imported as much as 792,383 barrels of refined petroleum