North Korea’s trade with China jumped 26.8% year-on-year in May to $230 million, new customs data shows, continuing a trend of strong growth in 2025 and holding steady amid speculation surrounding a strained relationship. 

The total trade volume last month marked a 3.5% increase from $222.1 million in April but was still shy of the March figure of $238.2 million, according to official data from China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC) released Wednesday.

Notably, trade from January to the end of May this year totalled $1.03 billion, a 22.8% increase from the same period last year, which had seen a