N.Korea Imports Huge Amount of Wheat Flour from Russia

North Korea imported nearly five years' worth of wheat flour from Russia in April alone.

It seems that the regime is diversifying sources of imports due to a disruption of trade with China, its largest source of grain, amid the coronavirus lockdown.

The unusual amount could also have something to do with the most important holiday in the North, regime founder Kim Il-sung's birthday on April 15.

Data from the International Trade Centre show that North Korea imported US$7.4 million worth of wheat flour from Russia in April, according to Voice of America. That is nearly 90 percent of the regime's total grain imports from Russia over the past five years of $8.25 million.

But that amount is still small compared to its grain imports from China, which were worth $83.95 million last year or $7 million a month on average.

In April last year, Pyongyang imported $2.54 million worth of wheat flour from Russia, 67 percent of the total wheat flour imports of $3.79 million for that entire year.

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