UN experts identify North Korea’s illegal exports worth US$270 million – including commodities sold to China

North Korea illegally exported coal, iron and other commodities worth at least 270 million dollar to China and other countries including India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka, in the six-month period ending in early August in violation of UN sanctions. The experts monitoring sanctions said: Kim Jong-un’s government continues to flout sanctions on commodities as well as an arms embargo and restrictions on shipping and financial activities. Between December 2016 and May 2017, North Korea exported over 79 million dollar of iron China, the report said. And between October 2016 and May 2017, it exported iron and steel products to Egypt, China, France, India, Ireland and Mexico valued at 305,713 dollar. And since December 2016, the experts said China, Sri Lanka, and India imported one or more of these minerals in violation of sanctions. In addition, the experts said: DPRK officials and entities have engaged in deceptive financial practices, including opening multiple bank accounts in the same country and in neighbouring countries, North Korea continued to hone it’s evasion tactics.