The direct impact on listed
companies may be limited as
trade between China and its isolated northern neighbour has slowed substantially since the United
Nations imposed a ban in September on North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore and seafood.
At stake is a relationship
between the three
nations whose annual
trade in goods totals about US$ 1 trillion — and even the business models of
companies such as Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. that have adapted their supply chains to take advantage of the
trade zone.