China will maintain import tariff quotas on ten agricultural products, according to a tentative regulation on the management of import tariff quotas of agricultural products published Thursday.

The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) and the State Development and Reform Commission (SDRC) jointly issued the regulation on the management of import tariff quotas of agricultural products for suggestions.

The regulation noted that China would determine the annual import volume of the products in accordance with its commitments to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The products include wheat, corn, rice, cotton, soybean soil, vegetable seed oil, palm oil, sugar, and fine wool.

The MOC and the SDRC are held responsible for managing the application and allocation of the quota and publishing related information, including the volume of quotas and tariff rates in the next year.

China published a tentative regulation on import tariff quotas of agricultural products in January, 2002, in compliance with its WTO commitments.

(Xinhua News Agency August 1, 2003)