North Korea-China Trade Rises in First Half of 2026 Despite June Slowdown

North Korea's trade with China grew on an annual basis in the first half of 2026, according to Chinese customs data released Monday, even though the monthly figures for June showed a slowdown from earlier peaks.

China's General Administration of Customs reported that goods worth close to $252 million changed hands between the two countries in June, with North Korean exports to China totaling roughly $37 million and imports from China reaching about $215 million. The wide gap between the two figures reflects the long-standing imbalance in the relationship, with Pyongyang importing far more than it sells.

Despite the dip in the June figure, cumulative trade for the first half of the year came in higher than the same period in 2025, according to the data cited by NK News. The overall increase suggests that cross-border commerce has continued to recover steadily since the sharp disruptions caused by North Korea's pandemic-era border closures.

The figures reaffirm China's position as North Korea's overwhelmingly dominant trading partner, a role Beijing has held for years despite United Nations sanctions imposed over Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs. Much of the recorded trade continues to revolve around familiar categories such as textiles, processed goods and human hair products, including wigs, which have remained steady drivers of cross-border commerce in recent months.

Analysts who track North Korea's external trade note that fluctuations from month to month are common and often tied to seasonal factors, border logistics and enforcement patterns at crossings such as the Hyesan-Changbai bridge. The broader trend of a year-on-year increase, however, points to a gradual normalization of trade flows following the disruptions of the past several years.

With Chinese customs releases remaining one of the few reliable windows into North Korea's opaque economy, the data continues to be closely watched by researchers seeking to gauge the health of Pyongyang's trade-dependent economy and the practical limits of international sanctions enforcement.