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Trump announces "heaviest ever" set of new sanctions on N. Korea

WASHINGTON, Feb 23 (KUNA) -- US President Donald Trump on Friday announced the "heaviest ever" set of new sanctions on the North Korean regime.
The action represents the latest US effort to deal with North Korean evasion of United Nations restrictions that deprive the Kim Jong Un regime of resources for its nuclear and ballistic missile program.
The US Treasury Department will act to further cut off sources of revenue and fuel that the regime uses to fund its nuclear program and sustain its military by targeting 56 vessels, shipping companies and trade businesses that are assisting North Korea in evading sanctions, Trump said during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington.
A White House official detailed to reporters on a background call that the sanctions target 27 shipping and trade companies, 28 vessels and one individual. They're located, registered or flagged in countries all over the world, including North Korea, China, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Marshall Islands, Tanzania, Panama and Comoros.
Among these sanctions include companies that have engaged in UN-prohibited ship-to-ship transfers for refined petroleum products and big coal shipments from North Korea.
"We are aggressively targeting their ability to evade sanctions, while also significantly hindering the regime's ability to continue to conduct these illicit maritime activities that facilitate coal and fuel transport among others, in international waters," the official said. (end) rm.ak.bs