North Korea's export of watches to China reached the world's second largest by volume in 2024.

Citing data from China's General Administration of Customs, Voice of America(VOA) said on Saturday that the North exported 16-point-28 million U.S. dollars worth of watches to China last year, ranking second out of 12 countries by volume.

Japan topped the list with 120 million dollars worth of shipments, while Switzerland ranked third at five-point-87 million dollars.

VOA said Pyongyang has sharply expanded shipment of watches to China since being slapped with international sanctions in 2017 as watches are not subject to the sanctions.

After peaking at 49-point-18 million dollars in 2019, the North's exports of watches was temporarily halted during the pandemic, before resuming in 2023 with a total of four-point-05 million dollars.

The cost per North Korean watch, meanwhile, is only eleven cents, significantly lower compared to one dollar and 47 cents for a Japanese watch, and three dollars and 42 cents for a Swiss watch.