The United States will in the coming days ask a UN Security Council committee to impose sanctions on seven ships suspected of violating UN sanctions on North Korea, a State Department official said on Monday.
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The seven vessels have illegally exported North Korean coal and iron ore to China, which traditionally earns Pyongyang between US$200 million and US$400 million a year, said the US official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“These nominations are not just bureaucratic exercises. They’re about ensuring accountability for UN sanctions violations and stopping exports that directly fund North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes,” the official said.
However, the Security Council’s 15-member sanctions committee operates by consensus and it was not immediately clear if North Korea’s friends Russia and China would agree.
The Russian and Chinese missions to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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North Korea has been under US sanctions for its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes since 2006.