The United States imposed sanctions on two Chinese shipping companies for helping North Korea evade sanctions, the first such step since the collapse of the U.S.-North Korea summit last month.
The Department of the Treasury on Thursday identified the newly sanctioned firms as Dalian Haibo International Freight Co. Ltd. and Liaoning Danxing International Forwarding Co. Ltd.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement that the United States and its like-minded partners remain committed to achieving the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea, adding that the full implementation of UN Security Council sanctions on North Korea is "crucial to a successful outcome."
The Treasury also issued an updated advisory that listed 67 vessels suspected of exporting North Korean coal or engaging in ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum.
The advisory was updated for the first time in 13 months since it was first released in February of last year.