Russian trade in goods with North Korea in Q1 2020
based on data from the Federal Customs Service of Russia
Russia’s Trade with North Korea
In the 1st quarter of 2020, Russia’s trade with North Korea was $10,580,128, down 33.41% ($5,307,920) from the 1st quarter of 2019.
Russia’s exports to North Korea in the 1st quarter of 2020 were $10,416,280, down 32.37% ($4,986,435) from the 1st quarter of 2019.
Russia’s imports from North Korea in the 1st quarter of 2020 were $163,848, down 66.24% ($321,485) from the 1st quarter of 2019.
Russia’s trade surplus with North Korea in the 1st quarter of 2020 was $10,252,432, a 31.27% decrease ($4,664,950) over the 1st quarter of 2019.
North Korea was Russia’s 128th largest trading partner in the 1st quarter of 2020 (down from 125th in the 1st quarter of 2019), accounting for 0.0074% of Russia’s total trade (down from 0.0101% in the 1st quarter of 2019).
North Korea was Russia’s 113th largest export market in the 1st quarter of 2020 (down from 110th in the 1st quarter of 2019), accounting for 0.0117% of Russia’s total exports (down from 0.0148% in the 1st quarter of 2019).
North Korea was Russia’s 143rd largest supplier in the 1st quarter of 2020 (down from 139th in the 1st quarter of 2019), accounting for 0.0003% of Russia’s total imports (down from 0.0009% in the 1st quarter of 2019).
Russia’s Exports to North Korea
The major share of Russian exports to North Korea in the 1st quarter of 2020 (and in the 1st quarter of 2019) was accounted for the following product types:
- Mineral products (HS codes 25-27) - 77.38% of Russia’s total exports to North Korea (72.25% in the 1st quarter of 2019);
- Food products and agricultural raw materials (HS codes 01-24) - 16.17% of Russia’s total exports to North Korea (25.92% in the 1st quarter of 2019);
- Chemical products (HS codes 28-40) - 6.43% of Russia’s total exports to North Korea (1.40% in the 1st quarter of 2019).
The largest gains in Russia’s exports to North Korea in the 1st quarter of 2020 over the 1st quarter of 2019 were recorded for the following product groups:
- Pharmaceutical products (HS code 30) - an increase of $452,496;
- Meat and edible meat offal (HS code 02) - an increase of $177,991;
- Live animals (HS code 01) - an increase of $34,923.
The largest declines in Russia’s exports to North Korea in the 1st quarter of 2020 over the 1st quarter of 2019 were recorded for the following product groups:
- Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes (HS code 27) - a decrease of $3,040,401;
- Products of the milling industry; malt; starches; inulin; wheat gluten (HS code 11) - a decrease of $1,281,362;
- Cereals (HS code 10) - a decrease of $1,187,948;
- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof (HS code 84) - a decrease of $60,341.
| HS code |
Name of product group | Value of exports in Q1 2020, US dollars ($) |
Percent share in total export | Value of exports in Q1 2019, US dollars ($) |
Percent change in Q1 2020 over Q1 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Live animals | 34,923 | 0.34 | 0 | ∞ |
| 02 | Meat and edible meat offal | 177,991 | 1.71 | 0 | ∞ |
| 10 | Cereals | 11,259 | 0.11 | 1,199,207 | -99.06 |
| 11 | Products of the milling industry; malt; starches; inulin; wheat gluten | 690,798 | 6.63 | 1,972,160 | -64.97 |
| 12 | Oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds and fruits; industrial or medicinal plants; straw and fodder | 2,633 | 0.03 | 0 | ∞ |
| 15 | Animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage products prepared edible fats; animal or vegetable waxes | 745,306 | 7.16 | 752,563 | -0.96 |
| 17 | Sugars and sugar confectionery | 16,500 | 0.16 | 40,312 | -59.07 |
| 21 | Miscellaneous edible preparations | 5,253 | 0.05 | 9,220 | -43.03 |
| 22 | Beverages, spirits and vinegar | 0 | 0.00 | 18,987 | -100.00 |
| 25 | Salt; sulfur; earths and stone; plastering materials, lime and cement | 0 | 0.00 | 28,408 | -100.00 |
| 27 | Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; bituminous substances; mineral waxes | 8,059,733 | 77.38 | 11,100,134 | -27.39 |
| 30 | Pharmaceutical products | 641,491 | 6.16 | 188,995 | 239.42 |
| 32 | Tanning or dyeing extracts; dyes, pigments, paints, varnishes, putty and mastics | 0 | 0.00 | 449 | -100.00 |
| 38 | Miscellaneous chemical products | 0 | 0.00 | 42 | -100.00 |
| 39 | Plastics and articles thereof | 0 | 0.00 | 19 | -100.00 |
| 40 | Rubber and articles thereof | 27,866 | 0.27 | 25,673 | 8.54 |
| 52 | Cotton | 0 | 0.00 | 324 | -100.00 |
| 61 | Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | -100.00 |
| 63 | Other made up textile articles; sets; worn clothing and worn textile articles; rags | 0 | 0.00 | 981 | -100.00 |
| 82 | Tools, implements, cutlery, spoons and forks, of base metal; parts thereof of base metal | 0 | 0.00 | 855 | -100.00 |
| 83 | Miscellaneous articles of base metal | 0 | 0.00 | 9 | -100.00 |
| 84 | Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof | 0 | 0.00 | 60,341 | -100.00 |
| 85 | Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles | 0 | 0.00 | 2,687 | -100.00 |
| 86 | Railway or tramway locomotives, rolling-stock and parts thereof; railway or tramway track fixtures and fittings and parts thereof; mechanical (including electro-mechanical) traffic signalling equipment of all kinds | 0 | 0.00 | 397 | -100.00 |
| 90 | Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; parts and accessories thereof | 2,527 | 0.02 | 716 | 252.93 |
| 94 | Furniture; bedding, mattresses, mattress supports, cushions and similar stuffed furnishings; lamps and lighting fittings, not elsewhere specified or included; illuminated sign illuminated nameplates and the like; prefabricated buildings | 0 | 0.00 | 144 | -100.00 |
| 96 | Miscellaneous manufactured articles | 0 | 0.00 | 87 | -100.00 |
Russia’s Imports from North Korea
The major share of Russian imports from North Korea in the 1st quarter of 2020 (and in the 1st quarter of 2019) was accounted for the following product types:
- Chemical products (HS codes 28-40) - 13.42% of Russia’s total imports from North Korea (0.55% in the 1st quarter of 2019);
- Machinery, equipment and vehicles (HS codes 84-90) - 9.18% of Russia’s total imports from North Korea (14.96% in the 1st quarter of 2019);
- Textiles, textile products and footwear (HS codes 50-67) - 4.56% of Russia’s total imports from North Korea (0.77% in the 1st quarter of 2019);
- Metals and products from them (HS codes 72-83) - 0.43% of Russia’s total imports from North Korea (1.36% in the 1st quarter of 2019);
- Food products and agricultural raw materials (HS codes 01-24) - 0.00% of Russia’s total imports from North Korea (4.24% in the 1st quarter of 2019).
The largest gains in Russia’s imports from North Korea in the 1st quarter of 2020 over the 1st quarter of 2019 were recorded for the following product groups:
- Soap, organic surface-active agents, washing preparations, lubricating preparations, artificial waxes, prepared waxes, polishing or scouring preparations, candles and similar articles, modeling pastes, "dental waxes" and dental preparations with a basis of plaster (HS code 34) - an increase of $13,123;
- Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, not knitted or crocheted (HS code 62) - an increase of $5,237;
- Plastics and articles thereof (HS code 39) - an increase of $3,126;
- Organic chemicals (HS code 29) - an increase of $2,485;
- Footwear, gaiters and the like; parts of such articles (HS code 64) - an increase of $642.
The largest declines in Russia’s imports from North Korea in the 1st quarter of 2020 over the 1st quarter of 2019 were recorded for the following product groups:
- Musical instruments; parts and accessories of such articles (HS code 92) - a decrease of $260,717;
- Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof (HS code 84) - a decrease of $50,943;
- Miscellaneous edible preparations (HS code 21) - a decrease of $20,583;
- Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles (HS code 85) - a decrease of $6,615;
- Articles of iron or steel (HS code 73) - a decrease of $5,887;
- Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted (HS code 61) - a decrease of $2,170.
| HS code |
Name of product group | Value of imports in Q1 2020, US dollars ($) |
Percent share in total import | Value of imports in Q1 2019, US dollars ($) |
Percent change in Q1 2020 over Q1 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Miscellaneous edible preparations | 0 | 0.00 | 20,583 | -100.00 |
| 29 | Organic chemicals | 3,478 | 2.12 | 993 | 250.25 |
| 33 | Essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations | 125 | 0.08 | 0 | ∞ |
| 34 | Soap, organic surface-active agents, washing preparations, lubricating preparations, artificial waxes, prepared waxes, polishing or scouring preparations, candles and similar articles, modeling pastes, "dental waxes" and dental preparations with a basis of plaster | 13,123 | 8.01 | 0 | ∞ |
| 39 | Plastics and articles thereof | 4,741 | 2.89 | 1,615 | 193.56 |
| 40 | Rubber and articles thereof | 519 | 0.32 | 48 | 981.25 |
| 42 | Articles of leather; saddlery and harness; travel goods, handbags and similar containers; articles of animal gut (other than silkworm gut) | 513 | 0.31 | 169 | 203.55 |
| 61 | Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted | 1,024 | 0.62 | 3,194 | -67.94 |
| 62 | Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, not knitted or crocheted | 5,800 | 3.54 | 563 | 930.20 |
| 64 | Footwear, gaiters and the like; parts of such articles | 642 | 0.39 | 0 | ∞ |
| 73 | Articles of iron or steel | 672 | 0.41 | 6,559 | -89.75 |
| 76 | Aluminum and articles thereof | 36 | 0.02 | 0 | ∞ |
| 83 | Miscellaneous articles of base metal | 0 | 0.00 | 57 | -100.00 |
| 84 | Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances; parts thereof | 23 | 0.01 | 50,966 | -99.95 |
| 85 | Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof; sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles | 15,016 | 9.16 | 21,631 | -30.58 |
| 92 | Musical instruments; parts and accessories of such articles | 117,433 | 71.67 | 378,150 | -68.95 |
| 95 | Toys, games and sports requisites; parts and accessories thereof | 703 | 0.43 | 805 | -12.67 |