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Vehicles and facilities from both North Korea and China are spotted in the middle of the bridge on the 14th, one day ahead of the opening of the New Yalu River Bridge connecting Sinuiju, North Korea, and Dandong in Liaoning Province, China. / Yonhap

North Korea has significantly ramped up food imports from China, including rice and meat. With the recent opening of the New Yalu River Bridge securing a new overland trade corridor, attention is focused on whether the exchange of goods between North Korea and China will expand further.

According to an analysis on the 21st by Voice of America (VOA) of detailed trade data for September from China's General Administration of Customs, North Korea imported roughly 7,064 tons of milled rice from China last month. The import value stood at approximately 3.62 million dollars, a 6.8-fold increase in monetary value and a 6.9-fold rise in volume compared to the same month last year. This marks the first time this year that monthly rice imports exceeded 3 million dollars.

Imports of Chinese frozen duck also totaled approximately 6.23 million dollars, up 125% year-on-year. After exceeding 6 million dollars for the first time in June, the figure remained above that benchmark for four consecutive months.

Wigs accounted for the largest share of North Korea's exports to China. Last month, wig exports reached roughly 22.95 million dollars, up around 30% from the same month last year.

Mineral exports diverged depending on the commodity. The export value of tungsten ores and concentrates stood at 2.73 million dollars, down 25.7% year-on-year, whereas molybdenum ores and concentrates rose 20% to 2.29 million dollars.

Last month, bilateral trade between North Korea and China totaled 299 million dollars, a 10% increase from the same month last year. Cumulative trade volume from January to September this year reached roughly 2.273 billion dollars, climbing 18.6% year-on-year.

China remains North Korea's dominant trade partner. According to the 2025 North Korea Foreign Trade Trends report by KOTRA, bilateral trade volume between North Korea and China stood at 3.07 billion dollars last year, accounting for 98.2% of North Korea's total external trade. North Korea's exports to China reached 440 million dollars, representing 94.1% of its total exports, while imports from China hit 2.63 billion dollars, making up 98.9% of total imports.

On the 15th, North Korea and China officially opened the New Yalu River Bridge connecting Dandong, China, and Sinuiju, North Korea, 12 years after its structural completion. While opening had been delayed by a lack of connecting infrastructure on the North Korean side, analysts note that strained bilateral ties also played a role. Projections suggest that securing this new overland trade route will help North Korea bring in raw materials and equipment from China needed for economic development.

                                                                                                              Lee Han-sol