The US has imposed sanctions on two Russian shipping companies and six vessels for violating UN restrictions on trade with North Korea, the US Treasury announced today.
The Vladivostok-based firms were involved in the ship-to-ship transfer of refined petroleum products with North Korea-flagged vessels "in early 2018," the statement said.
The targeted companies are Primorye Maritime Logistics and Gudzon Shipping, the registered ship owners and managers of the Russia-flagged 7,758-dwt Patriot (built 1990).
The Patriot was involved in two ship-to-ship transfers of oil to North Korean-flagged vessels, including 1,500 tonnes to the 1,150-dwt Chong Rim 2 (built 1990) and 2,000 tonnes to the 3,565-dwt Chon Ma San (built 2005).
The ultimate buyer was Taesong Bank, a North Korean entity subordinate to the Workers’ Party of Korea Office 39, which "engages in illicit economic activities for North Korean leadership," the statement said.
Chong Rim 2 was listed by the UN and the US in March 2016 and the Chon Ma San was blocked by the US in February 2018, and subsequently listed by the UN in March 2018 for its involvement in a UN-prohibited ship-to-ship transfer in mid-November 2017.
The US Treasury also named five other Russian-flagged vessels in which Gudzon has an interest, which include Bella, Bogatyr, Neptun, Partizan, and Sevastopol.
The US has imposed sanctions on North Korea to pressurise the regime to give up its nuclear weapons programme.
“Ship-to-ship transfers with North Korea-flagged vessels from Russia or elsewhere of any goods being supplied, sold, or transferred to or from (North Korea) are prohibited under the UN Security Council resolutions on North Korea and are sanctionable under U.S. law,” said US Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin.
“Consequences for violating these sanctions will remain in place until we have achieved the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea.”
