Mick Hartley

The North Koreans know how to do this properly. Tariffs? Bah! For weak people! A total ban is the only way. From the Daily NK:

North Korea has implemented legal prohibitions against importing American cigarettes, Coca-Cola, and other U.S. products.

Daily NK recently obtained the full text of the “Customs Law Implementation Regulations” enacted in 2022.

They were there before Trump.

Article 3 of these regulations details prohibited imports, notably including “American cigarettes, Coca-Cola, denim fabric and products made from it.” However, the regulations specify an exception: “excluding those carried by foreigners.”…

Article 3 also prohibits importing: ▲materials that could damage national authority ▲binoculars ▲long-distance recording devices ▲military items ▲printed materials that could negatively impact the country’s political, economic, military, cultural development or social order ▲products made in countries or regions banned from trade.

And it works! Banning imports encourages local production:

[R]eports indicate that carbonated beverages labeled “Coca-Cola” are being sold within North Korea, suggesting the country may be importing these products through alternative channels or selling products that appropriate the name.