US files complaint over China car duties

Geneva, July 6 (IANS) The US Thursday filed a complaint to the World Trade Organization (WTO) against China for imposing duties on US-made vehicles.

China started to impose anti-dumping and countervailing duties on imports of US cars and SUVs with an engine capacity of 2.5 liters or larger in December, 2011, Xinhua reported.

Chinese investigations showed that US auto makers received government subsidies and dumped their vehicles into the Chinese market that harmed the domestic auto industry.

China levied anti-dumping tariffs from 2 to 21.5 percent, and countervailing duties of up to 12.9 percent according to the level of subsidy US carmakers received from their government, both of which will expire Dec 14, 2013.

The latest US move was the third time that the Obama administration had challenged China's trade remedies, said US Trade Representative Ron Kirk.

In two earlier cases, the US challenged duties that China had imposed to restrict imports of certain steel products and chicken products.