China said on Friday that it strongly opposed decisions by the United States to initiate anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations on imports of some woven sacks and steel pipes from China.

The U.S. Commerce Department agreed this week to investigate allegations of unfair pricing for Chinese exports of woven sacks used to package dog food, bird seed and other products, as well as light-walled rectangular pipe and tubing.

The U.S. action runs against its own judicial precedent and its usual practice, and it also runs counter to relevant World Trade Organization rules, Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman Wang Xinpei said in a statement on the ministry's Web site.

(It) will have a damaging impact on the harmonious and healthy development of Sino-U.S. trade relations.

The laminated sacks join a growing list of Chinese export cases pending before the Commerce Department and the U.S. International Trade Commission, or ITC, which has the final word on whether any duties are imposed.

The ITC is scheduled on Friday to cast preliminary votes in two export pricing investigations involving steel nails and circular-welded steel pipe from China, which are both slated for final decisions in early 2008.

China U.S.