Trade between North Korea and China last month surged to its highest level in more than a year, in a sign that Pyongyang has eased border restrictions as the economy reels from the pandemic and international sanctions.

Exports more than doubled from $6.2m in August to $14.3m in September, the highest level since December 2019, according to Chinese customs data released this week. The value of Chinese exports to North Korea rose from $22.5m to $55.m over the same period, their highest level since June 2020.

The country’s economy has been under severe pressure from the combined effects of international sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme and Pyongyang’s crackdown on cross-border trade with its biggest trading partner in response to the coronavirus pandemic.