The U.S. government is turning the screws on companies that do business with North Korea in violation of U.N. sanctions but has stopped short of taking the more aggressive — and riskier — move of targeting Chinese banks that facilitate Pyongyang's trade in arms and other banned goods.
On Tuesday, the Trump administration blacklisted 16 Chinese, Russian and Singaporean companies and individuals for trading with banned North Korean entities, including in coal, oil and metals.
The campaign to pressure North Korea's trading partners is aimed at eventually forcing Pyongyang to give up its nuclear and missile programs.