North Korea has recently taken steps to expand its mineral trade despite international sanctions.<\/p>\n
According to a Daily NK source in China recently, a large trading company affiliated with the ruling party\u2019s Munitions Industry Department asked China to analyze samples of rare metals and invited a businessperson interested in buying them to Pyongyang.<\/span><\/p>\n Before inviting the businessperson, the trading company explained that they had requested an analysis of the samples and proposed phone negotiations on potential mineral deals. In the process, the trading company stressed that it believed it could produce one to three tons of rare metals per month.<\/span><\/p>\n If North Korea were to export one to three tons of rare metals a month, it would earn significant amounts of foreign currency.<\/span><\/p>\n The rare metals North Korea mentioned \u2014 the platinum metals palladium and rhodium \u2014 sell for more than $1,400 and $4,000 a troy ounce, meaning that if North Korea were to produce even a single ton, it could make tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars.<\/span><\/p>\n