China blasts US steel pipe duties as protectionist

China blasts US steel pipe duties as protectionist
Associated Press, 11.06.09, 01:24 AM EST

BEIJING -- China on Friday blasted Washington's decision to impose anti-dumping duties on imports of Chinese-made steel pipe as protectionist ahead of President Barack Obama's visit to Beijing this month.

The Commerce Ministry said the U.S. decision violated World Trade Organization principles and commitments by Washington and other Group of 20 major economies to avoid protectionism amid the global economic crisis.

"China resolutely opposes use of such protectionist practices, and will take measures to protect the interests of domestic industry," ministry spokesman Yao Jian said in a statement on the ministry's Web site.

The U.S. Commerce Department said Thursday it concluded Chinese producers were dumping pipes used by the oil and gas industry and would impose duties of up to 99 percent.

The Chinese statement said the Commerce Department used the wrong formula to calculate the cost of goods and the duties it imposed were too high.

The clash comes amid a series of U.S.-Chinese trade disputes and could add to diplomatic irritants just two weeks before Obama is due to arrive Nov. 15 on his first presidential visit to China.