BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Commerce announced on Saturday that it will impose anti-dumping duties on unbleached bag paper imported from the United States, the European Union and Japan.

The duties will last for five years, starting from Sunday, the ministry said.

According to the ministry's final ruling, companies from the above-mentioned regions have dumped unbleached bag paper on the Chinese market and such imports have caused substantial damage to the domestic industry.

Anti-dumping duty rates for US imports is set at 14.9 percent, those for European Union imports range from 23.5 to 29 percent, and Japanese companies are subject to a 20.5-percent rate, said the ministry.

It launched an anti-dumping probe into imported cellulose pulp in April last year.

Unbleached bag paper is often used in packages of cement, chemical products and food.