Page 8 - AsianOil Week 42 2022

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US sanctions Asian firms, individuals for

illegal oil shipments to North Korea

POLICY THE US Treasury Department has sanctioned “The DPRK’s long-range ballistic missile
three Asian shipping companies and two indi- launches, including over Japan, demonstrate a
The US continues viduals for allegedly making open water ship-to- continued disregard for [UN] Security Council
to sanction, but the ship transfers of oil and petroleum products that resolutions,” Brian Nelson, Undersecretary for
shipments continue. were then delivered to North Korea contrary to Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, said in a
international sanctions. statement. “The [US] will continue to enforce
The activity violates UN sanctions that have multilateral sanctions and pursue the DPRK’s
been imposed on Pyongyang for its repeated sanction evasion efforts worldwide, including by
missile tests, of which there have been 29 since designating those who support these activities.”
January of this year, with 23 of those ballistic. The South China Morning Post reported
North Korea earlier this month fired an interme- earlier this month that four companies in Hong
diate-range missile over Japan that was preceded Kong have been identified in a UN Security
by two short-range ballistic missiles aimed into Council expert group’s report in which they are
the sea in the direction of Japan. alleged to have carried out illegal transfers of
Washington brought sanctions against two petroleum to North Korea.
companies registered in Singapore – Anfasar According to the SCMP’s report, there are
Trading and Swansea Port Services – and New five ships under investigation for assisting North
Eastern Shipping, which is registered in the Mar- Korea to evade sanctions. It said checks in Hong
shall Islands. It also named Chen Shih Huan and Kong reveal that the companies are headed by
Kwek Kee Seng, who is linked to the Singapore mainland Chinese directors or individuals with
companies, as participating in an “international links to the mainland. Of the group, two direc-
evasion network.” The US said the oil supported tors had registered their businesses at addresses
North Korea’s weapons programme. Ship-to- in remote parts of China, the report said.
ship oil transfers are one way that North Korea The daily reported that a University of Hong
evades sanctions. Kong associate professor had told it that neither
The Treasury Department said the group China or Hong Kong are obliged to act on the
was linked to a vessel identified as ‘Courageous’, UN report, although they could signal their
which is alleged to have previously delivered commitment to international sanctions by tak-
petroleum to North Korea via night-time ship- ing pre-emptive action.
to-ship transfers, when the vessel would turn
off its automatic identification system. Sanc- There are also reports in international media
tions had been brought against the vessel in that ship-to-ship transfers of oil and petroleum
2021, according to the Treasury Department products are also being employed to deliver
statement. sanctioned Russian oil into mainland China. ™

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 42 24•October•2022