North Korea coal export sinks to zero after China import ban

North Korea's global coal exports sunk to zero in April, UN data showed, as China choked off imports from Pyongyang to ramp up pressure on its nuclear-armed neighbour. China - the North's sole major ally and economic lifeline - announced in February a suspension of coal imports from the North, choking-off a key source of hard currency for Pyongyang, which has rattled the region with an increasingly aggressive weapons programme.
Data recently updated on the United Nations Security Council website showed a sharp fall in coal shipped from the North to one unnamed country, plunging from 1.4 million tonnes, worth $126 million, in January to zero in April. The data, based on member states' voluntary reports, did not explicitly name China. But it may assuage the administration of US President Donald Trump, which has leant heavily on Beijing to help rein in Pyongyang.