Chinese export of jet fuel to North Korea jumped nearly 400 percent in September from a year earlier, data showed Wednesday, a move that could indicate Pyongyang can take advantage of tightened UN sanctions on the North.

China exported jet fuel worth $9.7 million to North Korea last month, up 391 percent from a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Beijing office of Korea International Trade Association.

Chinese exports of jet fuel to North Korea fell 13.1 percent on-year to $31.65 million in the first nine months of this year.

The latest UN sanctions resolution, adopted in March after the North's fourth nuclear test earlier this year, requires UN member states to prevent their nationals from supplying jet fuel to North Korea.

Still, the provision will not apply if there are verified essential humanitarian needs or for civilian passenger aircraft outside North Korea exclusively for consumption during its flight to Pyongyang and its return flight.

The data also showed that Chinese exports to North Korea came to $285 million in September, up 5.5 percent from a year earlier.

Meanwhile, Chinese imports from North Korea stood at $228 million in September, down 6.9 percent from a year earlier.

China imported 2.46 million tons of coal from North Korea in August, the largest amount since 1998 when data collection began on trade between North Korea and China.

North Korea is under the toughest UN sanctions ever over its repeated nuclear tests and its long-range rocket launches.

The sanctions call for, among other things, the mandatory inspection of all cargo going into and out of the North, and a ban on the country's exports of coal and other mineral resources to cut off North Korea's access to hard currency.

Still, the provision will not apply if transactions are determined to be exclusively for livelihood purposes and unrelated to generating revenue for North Korea's nuclear or ballistic missile programs or other activities prohibited by previous UN resolutions.

China accounts for nearly 90 percent of North Korea's foreign trade, and mineral resources are a key part of their bilateral trade. (Yonhap)