The Ministry of Commerce, Government of China, has fixed wool import quota at 287,000 tons and for wool tops at 80,000 tons for 2015.
China has kept its import quota of wool and wool tops unchanged since 2006, even though the country has become the world’s largest wool processor and consumer in recent years.
The Ministry said that the wool and wool tops import quotas would be implemented on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis. The Commerce Department has been designated as the authority for issuance of agricultural import quota certificate to qualified applicants. The Department will stop accepting applications when certificates are issued for the fixed import quota, the Ministry said in a statement.
Enterprises that have imported wool or wool tops with import quota licenses in 2014 and have not violated any regulations would be eligible for applying to the Commerce Department for seeking import quota in 2015. Moreover, newly operational companies with a processing capacity greater than 5,000 tons would also be eligible to apply for the import quota, according to the Ministry.
On receipt of online application, the Commerce Department will notify online about the approval in five working days.
