China will impose limits on oil exports to North Korea to comply with new United Nations sanctions, the country's Ministry of Commerce has announced, ratcheting up the pressure on the rogue state over its rapidly advancing nuclear weapons program.

The Chinese government said it would curb supplies of refined petroleum products as of October and would also ban imports of North Korean textiles, one of the country's largest remaining sources of revenue following several rounds of severe sanctions.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had led international calls for China to curb its oil supply to North Korea, triggering an angry rebuke earlier this month from the state-run, nationalist Chinese newspaper The Global Times, which said his comments were "indiscreet" and "absurd".

On Saturday, Mr Turnbull said approximately a third of the oil that would be imported into North Korea was subject to the latest sanctions and praised China for "showing real commitment to work with the rest of the global community to bring this regime to its senses".