(NSI News Source Info) BEIJING, China - September 15, 2009: China has launched an "anti-dumping and anti-subsidy" investigation into imports of US vehicles and chicken products, amid allegations by the foreign ministry of US protectionism. 
An employee works at a tire factory in Hefei, Anhui province September 14, 2009. China has requested WTO-sanctioned consultations with the United States over Washington's new duties on Chinese-made tires, a spokesman for China's Commerce Ministry said.
The commerce ministry said on Monday there are concerns that the US imports had "dealt a blow to domestic industries".
"It was simply a response to domestic concerns" and not retaliation for new US tariffs on Chinese tyre imports announced on Friday, the government said.
The ministry's website quoted Chen Deming, the commerce minister, as saying that the US move, announced on Friday, was a violation of global trade rules and a "grave act of trade protectionism".
"This is an abuse of special safeguard provisions and sends the wrong signal to the world," Chen said.The Chinese authorities said in a statement: "In line with national laws and World Trade Organisation rules, the commerce ministry has started an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy examination of some imported US car products and chicken meat."
Producers' complaints
The ministry said the investigation of imported US cars and chicken was in line with World Trade Organisation rules, and launched in response to complaints from Chinese producers.
The official China Daily quoted Fan Rende, head of the China Rubber Industry Association, as saying the US tariffs on Chinese tyres could lead to the loss of 100,000 jobs in China.
What is dumping?
In international trade, "dumping" refers to selling goods abroad at a price below that charged in the domestic market.
The newspaper reported strong support among Chinese firms and economists for retaliatory measures against the US.
"We could levy higher tariffs on tyres and automobiles imported from the US," it quoted He Weiwen, of the China Society for American Economic Studies, as saying.
"China should not let the US car firms make easy money from its vast car market. We should teach them a lesson."
The US trade deficit with China totalled $103bn in the first half of 2009, down 13 per cent from the same period last year.
US tyre tariff
The White House announced on Friday that President Barack Obama had imposed a 35-per-cent tariff on tyres imported from China amid a trade complaint by a major US union.
Obama authorised the additional duties on tyre imports from China for three years "in order to remedy a market disruption cause by a surge in tyre imports".
The new tariffs will begin with a 35-per-cent duty the first year and decrease to 30 per cent the second year and 25 per cent the third year tariff.
Washington has long accused China of practising trade protectionism [AFP]The additional tariff comes on top of an existing four per cent duty.
The United Steelworkers union had complained of dumping of Chinese-made tyres.
The US International Trade Commission had found the products were being imported in the US in a way that threatened domestic producers and the group had recommended even higher tariffs of 55 per cent.
The union is a key constituency of Obama and he has sought their support in fighting to overhaul the US healthcare system.
US tyre manufacturers, many of whom also have plants in China, had not sought the tariffs. The imports amount to $1.8bn annually.
'Dangerous signal'
In the wake of the imposition of the tyre tariffs, Jiang Yu, a foreign ministry spokeswoman, said the move sent a dangerous protectionist signal.
"This is going to damage financial and trade co-operation between China and the United States, and does not help push the world economy towards an early recovery," Jiang said in a statement posted on the ministry website.
China and the US have vowed to co-operate in seeking to revive global economic growth.
But the tyre dispute has brought continued friction over trade into focus, which could spill into the G20 summit this month and Obama's scheduled visit to China in November.
Jiang said China had already had stern talks with US officials, and reserved the right to take further countermeasures.
An employee works at a tire factory in Hefei, Anhui province September 14, 2009. China has requested WTO-sanctioned consultations with the United States over Washington's new duties on Chinese-made tires, a spokesman for China's Commerce Ministry said.
The commerce ministry said on Monday there are concerns that the US imports had "dealt a blow to domestic industries".
"It was simply a response to domestic concerns" and not retaliation for new US tariffs on Chinese tyre imports announced on Friday, the government said.
The ministry's website quoted Chen Deming, the commerce minister, as saying that the US move, announced on Friday, was a violation of global trade rules and a "grave act of trade protectionism".
"This is an abuse of special safeguard provisions and sends the wrong signal to the world," Chen said.The Chinese authorities said in a statement: "In line with national laws and World Trade Organisation rules, the commerce ministry has started an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy examination of some imported US car products and chicken meat."
Producers' complaints
The ministry said the investigation of imported US cars and chicken was in line with World Trade Organisation rules, and launched in response to complaints from Chinese producers.
The official China Daily quoted Fan Rende, head of the China Rubber Industry Association, as saying the US tariffs on Chinese tyres could lead to the loss of 100,000 jobs in China.
What is dumping?
In international trade, "dumping" refers to selling goods abroad at a price below that charged in the domestic market.
The newspaper reported strong support among Chinese firms and economists for retaliatory measures against the US.
"We could levy higher tariffs on tyres and automobiles imported from the US," it quoted He Weiwen, of the China Society for American Economic Studies, as saying.
"China should not let the US car firms make easy money from its vast car market. We should teach them a lesson."
The US trade deficit with China totalled $103bn in the first half of 2009, down 13 per cent from the same period last year.
US tyre tariff
The White House announced on Friday that President Barack Obama had imposed a 35-per-cent tariff on tyres imported from China amid a trade complaint by a major US union.
Obama authorised the additional duties on tyre imports from China for three years "in order to remedy a market disruption cause by a surge in tyre imports".
The new tariffs will begin with a 35-per-cent duty the first year and decrease to 30 per cent the second year and 25 per cent the third year tariff.
Washington has long accused China of practising trade protectionism [AFP]The additional tariff comes on top of an existing four per cent duty.
The United Steelworkers union had complained of dumping of Chinese-made tyres.
The US International Trade Commission had found the products were being imported in the US in a way that threatened domestic producers and the group had recommended even higher tariffs of 55 per cent.
The union is a key constituency of Obama and he has sought their support in fighting to overhaul the US healthcare system.
US tyre manufacturers, many of whom also have plants in China, had not sought the tariffs. The imports amount to $1.8bn annually.
'Dangerous signal'
In the wake of the imposition of the tyre tariffs, Jiang Yu, a foreign ministry spokeswoman, said the move sent a dangerous protectionist signal.
"This is going to damage financial and trade co-operation between China and the United States, and does not help push the world economy towards an early recovery," Jiang said in a statement posted on the ministry website.
China and the US have vowed to co-operate in seeking to revive global economic growth.
But the tyre dispute has brought continued friction over trade into focus, which could spill into the G20 summit this month and Obama's scheduled visit to China in November.
Jiang said China had already had stern talks with US officials, and reserved the right to take further countermeasures.
"Russia is not participating in this package yet. We have made no commitments," Alexei Kudrin said at a congress of the Association of Russian Banks.
Kudrin, who is also a deputy prime minister, said Russia is already providing significant assistance to neighboring states, as well as being the major contributor to the Eurasec anti-crisis fund, which has a charter capital of $10 billion.
"We believe we play the role of an elder brother for our region," he said.
G20 leaders agreed on Thursday in London a package of measures to combat the world crisis. In particular, $1.1 trillion would be given to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other financial institutions.
Kudrin also said Russia could invest its international reserves into IMF bonds, which the Fund has mooted issuing. "Another tool is IMF bonds," he said. "We could diversify international reserves ... by participating in this tool."
World leaders arrived in London on Wednesday ahead of a G20 summit meeting under intense pressure to produce a morale-boosting response to the worst economic downturn since the 1930s. 
What do you give one of the richest women in the world? Reportedly the President presented Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II with an engraved iPod touch "loaded with video and photos of her 2007 trip to the United States, as well as other songs and accessories, and a rare songbook signed by Richard Rodgers, of Rodgers and Hammerstein fame."
Reportedly, the Queen became an iPod owner several years ago and is quite fond of the device. The gifts sound appropriate for a 21st century president. Practical, geeky, proud of our technology and a rare gift of Americana. Maybe we'll see the QEII in one of those black silhouetted iPod adverts, preferably wearing her crown, dancing and rocking out?
Mexican President Felipe Calderon (L) and his wife Margarita Zavala (2nd L) bid farewell to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (2nd R) and Prince Phillip (R) at Buckingham Palace in London, on April 2, 2009, after a four day State visit. World leaders agreed a trillion-dollar deal at a G20 summit on Thursday to combat the deepest economic downturn since the Great Depression.
World leaders are set to declare an end to unfettered capitalism at a G20 summit on Thursday after France and Germany demanded they act fast on promises to prevent a repeat of the worst economic crisis since the 1930s.
World leaders agreed a huge raft of spending Thursday to combat the economic crisis, pledging to lay out five trillion dollars by the end of 2010 as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown hailed a "new world order". 
World leaders will have their work cut out at a G20 summit where U.S. President Barack Obama makes his first major international sortie, under perhaps more pressure than anyone to show that the country where the crisis began can lead the way out.
U.S.President Barack Obama makes his first major international sortie, under perhaps more pressure than anyone to show that the country where the crisis began can lead the way out.
World leaders will have their work cut out at a G20 summit where U.S. President Barack Obama makes his first major international sortie, under perhaps more pressure than anyone to show that the country where the crisis began can lead the way out.
The President of the United States, Barack Obama, right, and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev look on during their meeting ahead of the G20 summit in London, Wednesday, April 1, 2009. 
