Trump blocked sanctions on Chinese firms: report

By Lee Min-hyung

U.S. President Donald Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew new sanctions imposed on two Chinese shipping firms for their violation of international trade restrictions on North Korea, U.S. media reported Tuesday (local time).

Last week, Trump said on Twitter he “ordered the withdrawal of additional sanctions” on the regime without further clarification. The vague tweet has raised speculations over what those sanctions were.

This tweet came after the U.S. Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on the Chinese companies Thursday, accusing them of helping the North evade international sanctions by engaging in ship-to-ship transfers of oil and coal.

Citing five sources, Bloomberg reported Tuesday what Trump meant by the “order” was to remove the sanctions by the department.

“The president in fact intended to remove the penalties Treasury had announced the day before against two Chinese shipping companies that had helped Pyongyang evade U.S. sanctions,” the U.S. media outlet reported.

The report came in response to growing speculation, with the Trump administration declining to confirm his rather vague remark on the possible sanctions withdrawal.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckerbee Sanders only said in a statement that President Trump likes North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and the U.S. leader did not think the new sanctions would be conducive to maintaining dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang.