Japan has told North Korea it is considering extending unilateral sanctions against Pyongyang beyond April, sources said Thursday, a move apparently aimed at breaking an impasse over stalled talks on the abduction issue.

The sources said the Japanese government is making arrangements to extend the sanctions, possibly for two years, and a Cabinet decision could be made in April unless substantial progress is made on the issue, which involves resolving questions about several Japanese kidnapped by the North decades ago.

The sanctions set to expire in April include a total ban on exports and imports.