Beijing's customs authorities are said to be tightening inspections on cargo that come and go between North Korea and China.
 
Radio Free Asia(RFA) reported Friday that a trader at Dandong, China, said it has become impossible to send “apple rice” due to strengthened cargo inspections by Chinese customs authorities.
 
The trader explained that “apple rice” refers to Chinese rice packed in apple boxes instead of sacks. He said the term is also used as a jargon among traders to refer to China's sending of boxes to North Korea that have labels inconsistent with what they actually contain.
 
The trader said that customs authorities continue to not carry out all-out monitoring of goods sent to the North but are now inspecting items randomly, selecting boxes and checking whether the inventory matches the actual cargo.
 
According to the source, trading firms who are found to have been carrying apple rice packs are expected to face severe repercussions, including fines.