N. Korea's trade with China drops to nearly zero in October amid global pandemic: official

SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's trade with China dropped to almost zero in October due to the country's tightened border controls against the global coronavirus pandemic, the unification ministry said Thursday.

In October, the trade between the North and China stood at some US$2 million, sharply down from $290 million tallied during the same month of the previous year, a ministry official said, citing Chinese customs data.

"North Korea-China trade has sharply fallen to near zero," he told reporters on condition of anonymity. "Given its dependence upon China in terms of trade, it is natural to assume that the North Korean economy is in a very difficult situation."

North Korea has maintained tight bolder controls since early this year, and such protracted antivirus measures have hampered imports, taking a toll on its already fragile economy heavily dependent on neighboring China.

North Korea claims to be coronavirus-free, but it has recently intensified border controls and imposed a blockade on Pyongyang as part of efforts to stem an outbreak of the coronavirus.

kokobj@yna.co.kr
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