China bans exports to North Korea of weapons-related goods

BEIJING — China has tightened trade controls on North Korea by banning exports of electronics and other goods that can be used in making weapons.

The ban announced late Sunday is part of U.N. Security Council sanctions imposed to press the government of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to stop developing nuclear and missile technology.

The latest ban covers “dual use” industrial components, metal allows and other materials that can be used in both civilian products and weapons.

China accounts for nearly all of the isolated North’s trade and energy supplies.

Beijing has imposed limits on oil sales and cut deeply into the North’s foreign revenue by ordering North Korean businesses in China to close, sending home migrant workers and banning purchases of its coal, textiles, seafood and other exports.