China Reports Nearly 100,000 Barrels of Refined Petroleum Exported to North Korea in 2024

China has reported exporting approximately 99,220 barrels of refined petroleum to North Korea during the first five months of 2024, according to submissions filed with the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) sanctions committee. These figures, published on the committee’s website, indicate monthly shipments of 14,385 barrels in January, 5,519 barrels in February, 15,358 barrels in March, 23,652 barrels in April, and 40,304 barrels in May.

China remains the sole country disclosing its refined petroleum exports to North Korea under the UNSC’s mandate. However, experts suggest that unreported shipments may exceed these declared amounts.

In 2017, the UNSC implemented a resolution limiting petroleum exports to North Korea to 500,000 barrels annually in response to the country's prohibited intercontinental ballistic missile tests. This resolution requires member states, including China, to report monthly export data.

Despite this, China's reporting record has been inconsistent, and the current reported exports represent only around 20 percent of the sanctioned annual quota. Meanwhile, Russia, another major fuel supplier to North Korea, has ceased submitting required reports to the UNSC since January 2023. According to a May report by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team, Russia is estimated to have delivered over 1 million barrels of fuel to North Korea between March and October last year, exceeding the official restrictions.

The situation highlights ongoing challenges in enforcing international sanctions and monitoring fuel supplies to North Korea amid geopolitical complexities and concerns over the regime's missile and nuclear programs.