BEIJING, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- China will ban imports of waste foreign vessels to protect the environment, China Daily reported Monday.

The country's ship-breaking yards, which have been tearing apart the world's retired vessels from both civil and military sectors, and turning them into piles of steel scrap bound for mills for repurposing, will henceforth focus only on domestic ships.

Many ship-breaking yards and nearby beaches were heavily polluted by heavy metals, oil and other toxic substances, said the report.

The new measures of banning imports were announced in April and will take effect on Dec. 31. They cover 32 types of solid waste imports, including ships, auto parts, stainless steel scrap, titanium and wood.