North Korea imported refined petroleum products in violation of sanctions last year, far exceeding the annual limit set by U.N. sanctions, according to a report seen by AFP.
According to a report submitted to the UN Security Council by the UN Panel of Experts on North Korea, North Korea can import up to 500,000 barrels of oil per year, but from January to September last year, the isolated and closed North Korea imported “several times” more than the ceiling. The report cites “images, data, and data” to support the report.
The report, compiled using “images, data and statistics,” claims that at least 121 shipments of refined petroleum products, such as gasoline and diesel, arrived in North Korea via tankers and other means from a member state.
The products arriving in North Korea show the latest way for North Korea to evade the international embargo. The international embargo aims to stop North Korea’s weapons development by cutting off the revenue it needs to sustain its economy.
Expert analysis shows that North Korea continues to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles despite the imposition of numerous sanctions, including restrictions on oil imports and bans on North Korean coal, fishing and textile exports.
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