(MENAFN- Asia Times) US President Donald Trump has cancelled additional sanctions just announced by the US Treasury Department to tighten international sanctions on North Korea.
Trump tweeted on March 22 – Friday night US time – that he had ordered the withdrawal of the Treasury Department move, announced on its website on Thursday, to punish two Chinese shipping companies that have helped North Korea evade sanctions.
One of the companies, Dalian Haibo International Freight Co Ltd, is accused of having provided services to the North Korean company Paeksol Trading Corporation, including the transfer of metal or coal from North Korea.
The other company, Liaoning Danxing International Forwarding Co Ltd, is said to have used 'deceptive practices that enabled EU-based North Korean procurement officials to operate and purchase goods for the DPRK [Democratic People's Republic of Korea] regime.'
The Treasury Department statement said: 'The United States and our like-minded partners remain committed to achieving the final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea and believe the full implementation of North Korea-related UN Security Council resolutions is crucial to a successful outcome.'
The Treasury announcement came after a summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Hanoi in late February.
No agreement on the denuclearization of North Korea, which the US has demanded, was reached at that summit, and Trump's order to withdraw additional sanctions marks a departure from his administration's messaging a day earlier.
CNBC said: 'In a tweet Thursday after the Treasury's announcement, White House National Security Advisor John Bolton said 'Everyone should take notice and review their own activities to ensure that they are not involved in North Korea's sanctions evasion'.
"But now White House press secretary Huckabee Sanders says that 'President Trump likes Chairman Kim and he doesn't think these sanctions will be necessary.'
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