On March 17th, there occurred some fluctuations in the supply of table salt in some parts of the city. Concerning this phenomenon, relevant responsible persons of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Commerce announced that there are sufficient salt reserves in Beijing to satisfy normal market demand, and there is no need for residents to panic-buy and stockpile the condiment. In addition, as the supply of salt dominates the demand in China as a whole, Beijing is highly capable of ensuring salt supply. And as China enforces a salt monopoly system, with the commodity's wholesale and retail channels all under State control, the salt companies at all levels will strictly implement the country's pricing policies.

In order to satisfy the residents' normal demand for table salt, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Commerce has instructed the Beijing Salt Industry Corporation to focus its efforts on fulfilling market demand mainly in supermarkets and retailers, so as to check and prevent hoarding and profiteering on table salt by the middlemen.