N. Korea's China trade nearly triples in four years
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North Koreans leave after laying flowers to show respect to the statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il Sung (left) and Kim Jong Il at Mansu Hill as it snows in Pyongyang on Dec. 21, 2012. North Korea's trade with China has nearly tripled since 2007, according to data published in South Korea. -- PHOTO: AP
SEOUL (AFP) - North Korea's trade with China has nearly tripled since 2007, data published by South Korea showed on Thursday, underlining the isolated state's deepening dependence on its only major ally.
Bilateral trade jumped from US$1.97 billion (S$2.39 billion) in 2007 to US$5.6 billion last year, Statistics Korea said, with North Korean exports accounting for US$2.44 billion against imports from China of US$3.16 billion.
Statistics Korea releases the annual data based on figures from trade and economic organisations at home and abroad. The North does not report economic data.
Trade with China as of last year accounted for 70.1 per cent of the North's entire trade of US$8.0 billion, up from 41.7 per cent in 2007.
