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Trade between China and North Korea

In 2024, China exported $1.8 billion to North Korea and imported $337 million. China ran a surplus of $1.5 billion with North Korea, compared with a surplus of $2.4 billion in 2019. North Korea was China’s 122nd largest trading partner (0% of its trade), and China was North Korea’s largest (92%).

Summary

China → North Korea
$1.8billion
North Korea → China
$337million
China’s balance
$1.5billion

Balance

China’s trade balance with North Korea

Trade between China and North Korea grew 3.9-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). China’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 1.8
  • Imports 0.3
  • Balance +1.5

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$484 million$63 million$420 million
1996$494 million$69 million$425 million
1997$534 million$122 million$412 million
1998$356 million$57 million$298 million
1999$315 million$42 million$273 million
2000$429 million$37 million$392 million
2001$566 million$167 million$399 million
2002$465 million$271 million$194 million
2003$622 million$395 million$227 million
2004$794 million$586 million$209 million
2005$1.1 billion$499 million$575 million
2006$1.2 billion$457 million$761 million
2007$1.4 billion$574 million$818 million
2008$2 billion$741 million$1.3 billion
2009$1.9 billion$781 million$1.1 billion
2010$2.3 billion$1.2 billion$1.1 billion
2011$3.2 billion$2.5 billion$689 million
2012$3.5 billion$2.5 billion$1 billion
2013$3.6 billion$2.9 billion$703 million
2014$3.5 billion$2.8 billion$671 million
2015$2.9 billion$2.5 billion$449 million
2016$2.8 billion$2.5 billion$374 million
2017$3.2 billion$1.7 billion$1.6 billion
2018$2.2 billion$195 million$2 billion
2019$2.6 billion$208 million$2.4 billion
2020$491 million$45 million$446 million
2021$243 million$58 million$185 million
2022$894 million$134 million$760 million
2023$2 billion$292 million$1.7 billion
2024$1.8 billion$337 million$1.5 billion

What they sell each other

What China sells to North Korea

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Prepared human hair$169 million · 9.3%
    2 thousand tonnes
  2. Synthetic filament fabric$99 million · 5.5%
    22 thousand tonnes
  3. Soybean oil$97 million · 5.3%
    79 thousand tonnes
  4. Furniture$51 million · 2.8%
    32 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  5. Other knitted fabric$48 million · 2.7%
    13 thousand tonnes
  6. Plastic floor and wall coverings$45 million · 2.5%
    33 thousand tonnes
  7. Ceramic tiles$40 million · 2.2%
    177 thousand tonnes
  8. New tires$35 million · 2%
    16 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  9. Plastic sheets and film$32 million · 1.8%
    24 thousand tonnes
  10. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$24 million · 1.3%
    14 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations

What North Korea sells to China

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Wigs$188 million · 55.7%
    4 thousand tonnes
  2. Tungsten ore$31 million · 9.3%
    4 thousand tonnes
  3. Electricity$22 million · 6.6%
  4. Ferroalloys$21 million · 6.2%
    31 thousand tonnes · China’s sources
  5. Watch movements$16 million · 4.8%
    161 tonnes
  6. Molybdenum ore$15 million · 4.5%
    2 thousand tonnes
  7. Carbides$6 million · 1.7%
    17 thousand tonnes
  8. Raw silk$4 million · 1.2%
    443 tonnes
  9. Preserved fruit and nuts$4 million · 1.2%
    697 tonnes
  10. Industrial fatty acids and oils$4 million · 1.1%
    20 thousand tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Shanghai to Nampo.

The estimated sea route between Shanghai and Nampo is 587 nautical miles (1,087 km) long: ≈ 1.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

It does not cross any major canal or strait.

Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$479 million · 22.3%
  2. Land$1.7 billion · 77.7%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

North Korea was China’s 122nd largest trading partner (0% of its trade), and China was North Korea’s largest (92%).

North Korea in China’s trade
0%
North Korea’s rank among China’s partners
122nd
China in North Korea’s trade
92.2%
China’s rank among North Korea’s partners
1st

Compare with

Other partners of China

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.