NEW DELHI, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- India will begin exporting raw sugar to China from early next year, an official statement issued by the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday.

A contract for exporting 15,000 tonnes of raw sugar has been entered between the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) and COFCO, a Chinese government run public sector company.

Raw sugar is the second product after non-basmati rice that China will import from India.

India is in a position to become a regular and dependable exporter of high quality sugar in significant volumes to China, said the statement.