China will fully ban imports of coal, iron and other commodities from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea starting August 15 to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2371, Commerce Ministry and General Administration of Customs said in a joint announcement on August 14.

Coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore, aquatic and marine products originated in DPRK will be banned from entering China unless the commodities have arrived at Chinese ports before August 15, and Chinese customs will stop handling the import process for the above commodities starting September 5, according to the announcement.

It reported that about 40 percent of DPRK’s foreign currency is earned from coal exports to China.