The US announces new sanctions against North Korea.

247, with Reuters - The United States on Thursday (21) imposed sanctions on two China-based companies that allegedly helped North Korea evade US and international sanctions against its nuclear weapons program, in the first hostile action against North Korea since the failed summit last month between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The U.S. Treasury Department also issued an updated report listing 67 ships that have participated in what are considered illicit transfers of refined petroleum with North Korean tankers, or that allegedly exported coal from North Korea.

The Treasury identified the companies affected by the sanctions as Dalian Haibo International Freight and Liaoning Danxing International Forwarding, both based in China.

The measure prohibits transactions between the U.S. and the designated companies and freezes any assets they may own in the United States.

The US announcement comes weeks after a second summit between Trump and Kim in Hanoi ended earlier than planned due to conflicting demands from North Korea, which wanted some of the strict sanctions to be eased, and the US, which demanded that North Korea abandon its nuclear weapons.

The United States has been leading international efforts to pressure North Korea to abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs through sanctions.