The 15-member U.N. Security Council (the Council) imposed new sanctions on North Korea (also known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK) on November 30, 2016 by unanimously approving a resolution imposing new sanctions — UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2321.
The resolution is a clear response to North Korea carrying out its fifth and largest nuclear test so far in September 2016. The resolution tighten the sanctions adopted by the Council in March 2016 and is aimed at cutting North Korea's hard currency that it uses to fund its prohibited weapons programs.
The sanctions impose a cap on coal exports, which is North Korea's chief source of hard currency and constitutes about one third of North Korea's export revenue. Pursuant to the resolution, North Korea can sell no more than 7.5 million metric tons of coal a year, or bring in no more than $400 million in sales, whichever comes first. In addition to restricting the export of coal, the resolution also bans North Korean copper, nickel, silver and zinc exports.
Two of the five permanent members of the Council, China and the United States, have been working together to pass the resolution. China is North Korea's principal patron and coal customer. China's permanent representative to the United Nations, Liu Jieyi, called on North Korea to halt its nuclear tests. He said the resolution demonstrated "the uniform stance of the international community."
The U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, said that "the United States recognizes that China is working closely with us." Power stated that "[n]o resolution in New York will likely, tomorrow, persuade Pyongyang to cease its relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons. But this resolution imposes unprecedented costs on the DPRK regime for defying this council's demands."
The resolution also requires countries to tell the United Nations how much North Korean coal they are buying and expands the list of banned items for import by North Korea, including luxury goods like rugs and tapestries valued over $500 and porcelain and bone china worth more than $100.
In addition to other export controls, the resolution also imposes banking restrictions and transportation restrictions. The resolution includes an expanded list of individuals and entities that are subject to travel bans and asset freezes, including North Korea's ambassadors and envoys to Egypt, Sudan, Syria and Myanmar.
On December 2, 2016, the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control announced related sanctions designations of additional individuals and entities with ties to the Government of North Korea or its nuclear and weapons proliferation efforts, and aircrafts blocked as property of a designated entity.
North Korea has been under United Nations sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear and ballistic missile tests. For United States businesses the resolution does not significantly change the status quo, as US law already prohibits nearly all activity involving North Korea. The resolution will primarily impact areas where North Korea has a strong international presence, including banking, transportation and commodities trade.
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