Ban on the country’s textile exports and capping imports of crude oil comes after US watered down initial tougher version to avoid veto by China
The United Nations security council has unanimously agreed to step up sanctions against North Korea after the country’s sixth and most powerful nuclear test on 3 September, imposing a ban on the country’s textile exports and capping imports of crude oil.
It was the ninth sanctions resolution unanimously adopted by the 15-member council since 2006 over North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs. The United States watered down an initial tougher draft resolution to win the support of Pyongyang ally China and Russia.
Textiles were North Korea’s second-biggest export after coal and other minerals in 2016, totaling $752m, according to data from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. Nearly 80 percent of the textile exports went to China.
The resolution, aimed at curbing the regime’s nuclear ambitions, imposes a ban on condensates and natural gas liquids, a cap of 2m barrels a year on refined petroleum products, and a cap on crude oil exports to North Korea at current levels. China supplies most of North Korea’s crude.
A US official, familiar with the council negotiations and speaking on condition of anonymity, said North Korea imports some 4.5m barrels of refined petroleum products annually and 4m barrels of crude oil.
