It is reported by Reuters.

In May last year, the government hit major exporting nations with penalties on sugar shipments after years of lobbying by domestic mills. It still exempted 190 smaller producing countries and regions, mostly in Southeast Asia and South America, like in the Philippines and El Salvador.

That list of exempt countries has now been cancelled, the Commerce Ministry said in a Monday statement. Protective measures will be uniformly applied to all out-of-quota sugar imports.

China allows 1,94 million tonnes of sugar imports a year at a tariff of 15 percent as part of its commitments to the World Trade Organization. Shipments outside of that allowance - out-of-quota imports - are charged a higher tariff and need special permits.

Out-of-quota imports already incur a 50 percent levy, and the protective measures added an extra 45 percent duty to those imports last year, taking the total to 95 percent. This was set to fall to 90 percent this year and 85 percent next year.