China's Ministry of Finance has announced a change in tariffs on rice imports from July 1, involving 14 items in total.

A worker carries a sack of rice at Jatinegara rice market in Jakarta, January 7, 2016. (Photo: VCG)

Rice products imported from certain countries will abide by specific tariff rates in accordance with the rules of the World Trade Organization, the World Customs Organization and bilateral free trade agreements, the ministry said.

Tariffs on unhusked rice, whole rice, broken rice, fine powder of rice, and coarse powder and grain of rice imported from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be at 50 percent, 50 percent, 5 percent, 40 percent, and 5percent, respectively.

The MFN tariff rate for rice, tariff-rate quotas and ordinary tariff rate will not be affected by the new policy.

The tariff adjustment is based on changes to domestic rice industry standards, and the purpose is to better adapt to the needs of trade development, the ministry said.

Adjustment of the tariff rate conforms to the provisions of multilateral and bilateral agreements, serves to fulfill China’s WTO commitments, and safeguards the normal trade order between China and ASEAN countries, according to the ministry’s statement.