The United States asked the United Nations Tuesday to blacklist 10 ships that carried banned items from North Korea.
The vessels, including two Hong Kong-flagged ships and two North Korean tankers, are accused of “conducting illegal ship-to-ship transfers of refined petroleum products to North Korean vessels, or illegally transporting North Korean coal to other countries for exports,” according to the U.S. proposal.
If none of the U.N.'s 15 Security Council member states reject the proposal by Thursday, it will be approved — meaning that all countries will be required to ban the blacklisted ships from entering their ports.
The Security Council blacklisted four vessels found carrying North Korean coal, seafood and iron ore in October.
Under sanctions imposed on North Korea in response to its missile and nuclear tests, the U.N. has banned coal, iron, lead, textiles and seafood exports, has also restricted joint ventures and blacklisted a number of North Korean companies.