Completed Development AidData Chinese Aid

China provides a donation of 530,000 tons of fertilizer to North Korea in 2020

$114.16M USD

Funder	China Ministry of Commerce
Recipient Organization	Government of North Korea
Country	Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Start Date	Jul 01, 2020
End Date	Jul 26, 2031
Duration	4,042 days
Number of Grantees	1
Roles	Recipient
Data Source	AidData Chinese Aid
Grant ID	`93442`

Grant Description

In 2020, the Chinese Government donated approximately 530,000 tons of fertilizer to the Government of North Korea, despite ongoing international sanctions, according to the Asahi Shimbun. The estimated monetary value of this donation is $114,162,000.

The fertilizer was sent as part of China's food assistance response to multiple crises in North Korea; the Covid-19 pandemic, summer flooding, and spring drought. The Asahi article lists unnamed South Korean government officials as its source.

📋 Staff Comments

1. To estimate the monetary value of this donation ($114,162,000), AidData takes the international price of a ton of urea fertilizer in January 2020 ($215.40) and multiplies it by 530,000 tons.

📚 Sources & References

China bailout to North Korea: massive food and fertilizer aid
China sent a half-million tons of food to North Korea, report says
Fertilizer prices expected to remain higher for longer
China Secretly Sends Food Aid to North Korea by Rail
As Beijing Prepares Huge Food-Aid Operation
Trains for North Korea Stop Shipping Commercial Freight Loan applications and disbursements are still being received and processed as the projects continue to evolve. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation are in place to ensure project continuity.