The US proposed a sharp tightening of international sanctions on North Korea on Thursday after reaching an agreement with China on a new resolution at the UN.
US officials said new sanctions, which would include a ban on aviation fuel exports, inspections of cargo going in and out of the country and restrictions on the country’s banks, represented the toughest measures North Korea would face in two decades.
The US also said the UN resolution would also limit and in some cases ban North Korean exports of coal, iron, gold and titanium — a set of restrictions that has the potential to significantly restrict Chinese trade with its ally.
Samantha Power, the US ambassador at the UN, said that if adopted, the sanctions would “send an unambiguous and unyielding message” to North Korea that “we will not accept your proliferation”.