North Korea's trade volume with China jumped 2.3-fold compared to the previous year in January, the Voice of America (VOA) reported Saturday, further indicating that the isolated communist country is becoming more economically dependent on its neighbor.
Citing a report by China's commerce ministry, the VOA said two-way trade reached US$353 million in the cited month up from $148 million tallied a year earlier. The total is larger than the $301 million traded between the two countries in January and February of last year, it added.
The broadcaster said that there had been a steady rise in trade between Pyongyang and Beijing throughout last year. In the first half of 2010, an average of $210 million worth of goods was traded per month, but numbers rose to around $360 million from July through December.
The VOA, meanwhile, said that North Korea's exports to Beijing expanded 3.5 times in the first month of the year vis-a-vis January 2010. It said exports hit $129 million while imports reached $224 million, with the North suffering a deficit.