The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has kept next year's import quota of wool and wool tops unchanged from 2014, allowing a maximum of 287,000 tonnes of wool to be imported in 2015.

Meanwhile, the import quota for wool tops was set at 80,000 tonnes, according to a statement by the MOC on its website.

China has refused to increase the import quota of wool and wool tops since 2006 even after it became the world's largest wool processor and consumer in recent years.

The country relies on imports for more than 75 percent of its wool supply for domestic textile companies.

The MOC and its authorized departments will allocate the quota on a "first come, first serve" basis until the quota is filled.

Applicants shall be enterprises that actually imports wool or wool tops with import quota licenses in 2014 without regulation-violation record the previous year.

Those newly built or newly operational companies with a processing capacity above 5,000 tonnes can also apply for the import quota for 2015, according to the MOC.