North Korea's exports to China in March were the highest in nearly a decade, driven by a surge in tungsten sales, according to data released from China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Monday.

Commercial exchanges between the two countries rose from $178.2 million in February to $243.8 million in March, broadly in line during the same period last year and pushing bilateral trade back to normal levels after a sluggish start to the year, according to GAC figures.

The recovery was driven primarily by increased North Korean exports. North Korea exported $73.3 million worth of goods, the