Reuters: As Sanctions Loom, Seafood Trade Slows on China-North Korea Border

In response to North Korea testing two intercontinental ballistic missiles last month, the UN Security Council issued a new round of sanctions “intending to press the Asian state to renounce its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs,” reports Philip Wen for Reuters. The sanctions prohibit North Korea from exporting seafood and various minerals like iron and coal. The country earns more than $3 billion dollars a year from its exports, and the Chinese border city of Dandong is a major beneficiary of this trade. Ports in Dandong are “usually a hive of activity, with a steady stream of fishing vessels returning from North Korea with their hulls full of fresh seafood.” This recent round of sanctions, however, could be effective as business has dropped precipitously, despite the sanctions not going into effect for a few more weeks. Many “cross-border trade companies are already reeling” as it has been illegal to import North Korean coal into China for months. – YaleGlobal