China imposes duties on chemical from U.S., EU, S. Korea

The tariffs on adipic acid, which will also be imposed on imports from the European Union and South Korea, will be effective for five years at a rate from five percent to 35.4 percent, the commerce ministry said in a statement. “Investigation authorities concluded that the products made in countries and regions like the U.S. and EU are being dumped (in China), causing substantial damages to the domestic adipic acid sector,” said the statement posted on its website. Adipic acid is mainly used to make nylon but is also a pharmaceutical ingredient and can be used to produce food flavoring.

Trade tensions between China and the United States have intensified in recent weeks, with both sides taking action against the other's imports.

Obama, who is due in China from November 15-18 for his first visit since taking office, ignited the first major trade spat of his presidency in September after he imposed punitive duties on Chinese-made tires.

An angry Beijing lodged a complaint at the World Trade Organization and retaliated by launching a probe into possible unfair trade practices involving imports of U.S. car products and chicken meat. Last month, the United States launched a probe on whether to slap almost 100 percent tariffs on steel pipes imported from China.

In a sign of progress, China pledged at high-level talks with U.S. officials in eastern Hangzhou last week to lift restrictions on U.S. pork imports and Washington said it would ease curbs on Chinese poultry imports.

China also promised to improve copyright protections and ease restrictions on foreign involvement in its rapidly growing wind power sector, but said it was investigating possible dumping by U.S. automakers.

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