BEIJING, April 30 (Reuters) - China is "deeply concerned" about U.S. investigations into Chinese-made steel pipes and tyres, the Commerce Ministry said on Thursday.

The United States decided on Wednesday to launch an anti-dumping probe of Chinese steel pipes used in oil production and a countervailing duty investigation of Chinese tyres.

The inquiries could lead to new duties being levied against such products from China. U.S. steel manufacturers are seeking anti-dumping duties of about 37 percent to 99 percent on imports that were worth some $2.6 billion last year.

"The Chinese public and industry are deeply dissatisfied. The Chinese government is deeply concerned," Commerce Ministry spokesman Yao Jian said of the investigation into steel pipes.

"The U.S. decision will seriously affect the healthy development of Sino-U.S. steel trade. It will have a negative impact on relevant U.S. industries," he told the official Xinhua news agency.

Yao also said the tyre investigation constituted discrimination against Chinese products and an abuse of countervailing duties.

The announcement of the probes closely followed a decision by China -- praised by U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk -- to eliminate testing requirements that threatened sales of U.S. information technology products.

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(Reporting by Langi Chiang and Alan Wheatley)

Reuters, Thursday April 30 2009

Source: www.guardian.co.uk