The US and 26 other nations want to halt North Korea fuel imports

Also Read : Trump claims he wouldn’t have let CIA recruit Kim Jong Un’s brother

They said the allowed annual cap of 500,000 barrels of fuel imports has been exceeded by North Korea. The report, according to the diplomat, said at least eight illegal ship to ship transfers have occurred involving North Korean flagged tankers. The diplomat said there were 72 cases of violations also being tracked.

The diplomat gave North Korea an “F” grade regarding implementation of the sanctions fuel import cap.

The diplomat added, “Not only is DPRK circumventing the petroleum ban it has systematically circumvented it all last year and is systematically circumventing it this year and, unstopped, it will have basically achieved the same amount of refined petroleum smuggled into North Korea as it did last year.”

The US compiled the report, but joined with 26 other countries in asking the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea to determine that the fuel cap was broken, and request that all UN countries should then stop any future transfers of petroleum to North Korea.

The issue of illegal ship-to-ship transfers on the high seas is not new.

It was reported by the sanctions committee panel of experts, citing ‘a massive increase in illegal ship to ship transfers of petroleum products and coal.” However, attempts by Washington to take action were blocked by Russia and China.

The diplomat said he believes China and Russia may be more open now, because the US moved early to brief Moscow and Beijing with more evidence and acted in a “more cooperative tone.” The US is not saying it wants more sanctions on North Korea but believes it’s important to stop these illegal fuel shipments so they don’t happen again.

The diplomat said bans on coal and iron ore shipment are working well.

Under sanctions rules, countries are required to report monthly sales of petroleum refined products to the committee. In the past former US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley accused Russia of cheating, which Moscow denied.