China blasts tariff decision by US

The US has imposed punitive duties on steel pipes for oil wells imported from China, a move that has been strongly condemned by China.

China's Ministry of Commerce expressed its dissatisfaction with the decision, and rejected the reasoning behind the vote by the US International Trade Commission. The duties will add 10 to 16 percent to the cost of China-made steel pipes sold in the United States. It is the biggest trade case brought by US companies and unions against China.

Chinese exports of steel pipes to America have been valued at around 3.2 billion US dollars, almost half of the total volume of steel exports worth 6.9 billion dollars.