North Korea is importing large volumes of Chinese construction materials, with more than 50 cargo trucks crossing the border daily from Dandong to Sinuiju. While non-sanctioned goods enter through official checkpoints with strict quarantine measures, banned materials are smuggled in via sea routes and remote border crossings.
According to a Daily NK source in China recently, the Chinese cargo trucks taking the imports over the border carry large amounts of construction supplies needed to build interiors and exteriors, including cement, latex paint, tiles, bricks, plastering tools, LED lights and sewage pipes.
The supplies are mainly going to housing construction in flood-stricken Sinuiju and Uiju in North Pyongan province, the source said.
North Korea is currently building homes for about 4,400 families in Sinuiju and Uiju.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered housing construction to be completed as quickly as possible and to the highest standard after personally visiting flood recovery sites recently. This has led local authorities to hasten the construction work.
“Since early August, orders from North Korean trading companies for building supplies have skyrocketed,” the source said.
North Korean trade officials have asked Chinese traders to obtain items at the lowest prices possible after researching prices on Chinese budget e-commerce platforms such as Temu, AliExpress and Shein.
Only non-sanctioned construction materials pass through the official Dandong-Sinuiju checkpoint, where strict quarantine measures remain in place. Chinese customs charges about 2,800 Chinese yuan ($385) per cubic meter in taxes, depending on the item.
Due to these high fees, North Korean trading companies route sanctioned and expensive materials through alternative border crossings – from Hunchun to Nason’s Woljong village, or from Changbai to Hyesan.
The construction boom shows no signs of slowing: Sinuiju has erected 15-story apartment buildings within just two months of July’s floods, and imports are expected to rise as North Korea rushes to complete housing in flood-damaged areas.
Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.
November 01, 2024 at 11:55AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)