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N. Korean imports and exports over past 10 years. From upper row, exports, imports, total imports and exports, and trade balance (Unit: $mil.)

A food shortage in North Korea has led to a big increase in its grain imports from China over the past year, a new study finds.

According to a report about North Korea’s foreign trade trends in 2019, released by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) on July 23, North Korea imported a total of US$96 million worth of grain last year, representing a 242% increase from 2018 (US$28 million). Grain accounted for 3.2% of North Korea’s total import value last year and was one of the top five imported items. 87.7% of North Korea’s grain imports (in terms of price) arrived from China.

North Korea’s number one import last year was mineral oil (crude oil and refined oil), worth US$346 million, which accounted for 11.7% of North Korea’s total trade. KOTRA included an estimated US$290 million worth of crude oil imported from China (about 500,000 tons) in the category of mineral oil.

“North Korean imports of crude oil from China have not appeared in any statistics released by China’s customs authorities since 2014, but our report on North Korea’s foreign trade trends reflects an estimated 500,000 tons of crude oil imports,” KOTRA said.

North Korea’s other major imports are plastics and plastic products (US$275 million), artificial fibers and filaments (US$190 million), and animal and plant fats and decomposed products (US$148 million).

North Korea’s foreign trade last year (including both imports and exports but not inter-Korean trade) increased 14.1% from 2018 to US$3.24 billion. While that ended a three-year decline since 2016, trade levels remain half of what they were before the UN imposed tough sanctions on Pyongyang.

North Korea’s exports rose 14.4% from 2018 to US$280 million and imports rose 14.1% to US$2.97 billion. North Korea’s trade with China, its biggest trading partner, stood at US$3.09 billion (US$220 million in exports and US$2.88 billion in imports), up 13.6% from 2018. China accounts for 95.4% of North Korea’s total trade.

After China, North Korea’s next three biggest trading partners are Russia (second), Vietnam (third), and India (fourth), while Vietnam, South Africa, and Nigeria also entered the top 10 list. Published since 19980, KOTRA’s report on North Korean foreign trade trends is regarded as a reliable source of data by government agencies and research organizations.

By Cho Kye-wan, staff reporter

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