U.N. imposes tough new sanctions against North Korea

UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. imposed tough new sanctions on North Korea in response to latest ballistic missile it says can reach the U.S.

"It sends the unambiguous message to Pyongyang that further defiance will invite further punishment and isolation," U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley said of the new resolution after the vote Friday.

The draft resolution circulated to all 15 council members Thursday wouldn't go as far as the toughest-ever sanctions that have been sought by the Trump administration, such as prohibiting all oil imports and freezing international assets of North Korea's government and its leader, Kim Jong Un.

The resolution caps North Korea's crude oil imports at 4 million barrels a year and limits its imports of refined oil products, including diesel and kerosene, to 500,000 barrels a year. That would be a nearly 90 percent cut in imported fuels that are key to North Korea's economy.

It also prohibits the export of food products, machinery, electrical equipment, earth and stones, wood and vessels from North Korea. And also bans all countries from exporting industrial equipment, machinery, transportation vehicles and industrial metals to the country.

The resolution would also result in a significant decrease of income for the North Korean regime. The draft itself means China has come around to ratcheting up of pressure on Pyongyang, CBS News' Pamela Falk reports from the U.N.

The proposed sanctions are the Security Council's response to North Korea's test on Nov. 29 of its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile yet, which the government said is capable of hitting anywhere on the U.S. mainland. It was North Korea's 20th launch of a ballistic missile this year and added to fears that the North will soon have a nuclear arsenal that can viably target the U.S. mainland.

The United States drafted the resolution and reportedly negotiated it with China before circulating the final text to the rest of the council. The last sanctions resolution was adopted Sept. 11 in response to North Korea's sixth and strongest nuclear test explosion eight days earlier.

Full Story on CBSNews.com


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