GENEVA - China filed a formal complaint against the United States at the World Trade Organization on Friday, disputing U.S. charges on certain steel pipes, tires and woven sacks from China.

Under WTO rules, countries have the right to impose additional duties on imports if they believe the goods are being sold at below production or home-market prices, either because of government subsidies or in an attempt to corner the market.

"After the antidumping and countervailing investigations by the U.S. against the above-mentioned products were initiated, China was highly concerned and has repeatedly articulated its position at various occasions, opposing the unfair practices of the U.S. in those investigations," the Chinese mission to the WTO said in a statement.

China said it formally requested consultations with the U.S. over the issue - the required procedure before the case can be taken to dispute settlement proceedings.

The office of the U.S. trade representative in Washington said it was fully confident in the U.S. trade remedy laws and "will vigorously defend the WTO consistency of these laws."

Spokeswoman Gretchen Hamel said "every WTO member has a right to ask for consultations or launch a dispute."

"This is how mature trading partners resolve disagreements under the rules-based multilateral trading system," she said.