North Korea-China trade got off to a sluggish start in the new year, with total turnover in the first two months dropping significantly from the multiyear high in December.

China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC) released new trade data on Wednesday, reporting that the DPRK’s commercial exchanges dipped to $240.5 million in January and $178.2 million in February.

While the figures were higher than the $222.5 million and $122 million recorded in the same months a year earlier, they contrast with the $310 million turnover in December — the highest total since Nov. 2017.

The latest data presented no apparent