North Korean economy grows for first time in three years Major imports from China included 3.8 million barrels of crude oil, naphtha products, cargo vehicles with a total value of $92.2 million and more than $58 million worth of flour. There was also positive news in North Korea's food production, with the World Food Programme and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation suggesting that rice production increased 11 per cent on the previous year while the corn crop was up by 10 per cent.