New York: The amount of refined petroleum exports to North Korea reported to the United Nations has reached only 4 percent of the annual sanctions cap set by the U.N. Security Council this year. This shortfall is attributed to Russia's failure to submit its export notifications, as evidenced by data on the U.N. website.
According to Yonhap News Agency, China was the sole country to report its refined petroleum exports to North Korea to the UNSC sanctions committee. China reported exporting 14,385 barrels in January and 5,519 barrels in February, totaling 19,904 barrels. This amount represents a mere 4 percent of the 500,000-barrel export cap imposed in 2017, following North Korea's prohibited launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.
The current figures are significantly lower compared to the 116,190 barrels reported during the same period last year. The reported data does not fully illustrate North Korea's petroleum inflows, as Russia has not submitted its required reports to the committee since January of the previous year.
In May 2024, the United States revealed that Russia had supplied over 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to North Korea in March of the previous year alone. Russia has emerged as a critical source of economic resources and technology for North Korea, with both countries strengthening military ties amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. North Korea has reportedly deployed over 10,000 troops to support Russia.