Slowdown seen in DPRK 2012 trade with China

North Korea's trade with its close friend and biggest business partner China barely grew in 2012 compared to a year earlier as growth in the world's second biggest economy slowed, according to South Korean calculations.

Trade between the two countries rose an annual 5.4 percent in 2012 to a total of $5.93 billion, compared with 62.4 percent growth in 2011, according to a report released Thursday by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA).

North Korea does not release any economic statistics.

The trade body said the fall was due to lower global prices for coal and steel - two main resources China imports from North Korea - and due to weaker demand as China's economy grew just 7.8 percent in 2012, its weakest level since 1999.

North Korean exports to China stood at $2.48 billion in 2012, up just 0.8 percent from a year earlier, the South Korean data showed.

Imports from China rose 8.9 percent in 2012 year-on-year to $3.45 billion, compared to a 38.9 percent rise in the previous year.

Despite last year's slowing, KITA said it expects trade to pick up soon as economic cooperation in border cities between North Korea and China is on the rise.