In place of Chinese imports, North Korea stocks more local goods in stores

FROM carrot-flavored toothpaste and charcoal face masks to motorcycles and solar panels, visitors to North Korea say they are seeing more and more locally made products in the isolated country’s shops and supermarkets, replacing mostly Chinese imports./Source: Reuters/Damir Sagolj

Most consumer products in North Korea still come from China. But under leader Kim Jong Un, there’s been an attempt to sell more domestically made goods, to avoid any outflow of currency and to reinforce the national ideology of juche, or self-reliance, visiting businessmen say./Source: Reuters/Damir Sagolj

There is no available data to show how much is being produced domestically. Export data from countries like China and Malaysia, which sell consumer goods to North Korea, may not be an accurate reflection./Source: Reuters/Damir Sagolj

China’s Commerce Ministry declined to comment when asked whether China’s exports to North Korea were decreasing due to an increase in locally-made products./Source: Reuters/Damir Sagolj

Visitors say with the impetus from the top, large North Korean companies like military-controlled Air Koryo, the operator of the national airline, and the Naegohyang conglomerate have diversified into manufacturing consumer goods including cigarettes and sports clothing. /Source: Reuters/Damir Sagolj

North Korea is one of the most insular countries in the world and visits by foreigners are highly regulated. /Source: Reuters/Damir Sagolj

A Reuters team in the capital Pyongyang last month was allowed to go to a grocery store, accompanied by government minders, where shelves were filled with locally made drinks, biscuits and other basic food items. Other visitors have seen locally made canned goods, coffee, liquor, toothpaste, cosmetics, soap, bicycles and other goods on sale in the city. /Source: Reuters/Damir Sagolj

“As new factories open, the branding, packaging and ingredients of our food products have improved,” said shop assistant Rhee Kyong-sook, 33. /Source: Reuters/Damir Sagolj

Visitors say locally made consumer goods are becoming increasingly sophisticated and QR or matrix barcodes can be found on a wide range of products from make-up to soft drinks. Market vendors are also becoming more competitive, offering samples of their food to shoppers, something they didn’t do five years ago. /Source: Reuters/Damir Sagolj