China launches anti-dumping probe of US car products, chicken

BEIJING: China said Sunday it had begun an "anti-dumping and anti-subsidy" probe into imports of some US car products and chicken meat, a day after Washington slapped tariffs on Chinese tyre imports.

"In line with national laws and World Trade Organisation rules, the commerce ministry has started an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy examination of some imported US car products and chicken meat," the ministry said on its website.

The action came a day after China expressed anger over a decision by US President Barack Obama's administration on Friday to slap steep tariffs on imported Chinese tyres.

China called that move "protectionist" and had threatened retaliation in China's first trade spat with the Obama administration.

"Recently, the commerce ministry has received word from domestic industries indicating that the above mentioned products had entered our nation's markets via dumping, subsidies and other unfair trade means," the statement said.

"This impacted domestic industries and the commerce ministry was requested to launch an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy probe."

It gave no further details on the exact products involved or the alleged trade violations.

The White House had announced punitive duties of an additional 35 percent on Chinese-made tyres just weeks before Obama is due to host his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao at the G20 summit later this month.

Obama signed a determination to apply an increased duty to all imports of passenger vehicle and light truck tyres from China for a period of three years, the White House said in a statement on Friday.

The decision was taken "in order to remedy a market disruption caused by a surge in tyre imports," the statement said.