President George W Bush today signed legislation adding North Korea to a law aimed at stemming the nuclear weapons ambitions of Iran and Syria, the White House said.
The non-proliferation law allows Mr Bush to impose sanctions on any foreign person believed to have transferred goods, services or technologies that could help those countries build nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction.
The legislation was introduced in the US Senate in July after North Korea after Pyongyang defied international warnings and tested seven missiles.
The signing of the law comes as the United States is pushing for a UN Security Council resolution imposing sanctions on North Korea for its reported weapons test.