The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) Friday made preliminary determination to continue antidumping duty investigations on imports of seamless refined copper pipe and tube from China and Mexico.

The ITC said that there is a reasonable indication that a U.S. industry is materially injured or threatened with material injury by reason of imports of these products from China and Mexico that are allegedly sold in the United States at less than fair value.

As a result of the Commission's affirmative determinations, the U.S. Department of Commerce will continue to conduct its antidumping duty investigations on imports of this product from the two countries, with its preliminary determinations due on or about March 9, 2010.

Imports from the two countries valued at 728.2 million U.S. dollars in 2008, said ITC in a statement.

If the Commerce Department makes an affirmative final determination, and the U.S. International Trade Commission makes an affirmative final determination that imports of such products from China and Mexico materially injures, or threaten material injury to, the domestic industry, these products will face an antidumping duties from 60.5 percent to 85.7 percent.

The onset of the global recession appears to have set off an increase in trade disputes around the world.

Globally, new requests for protection from imports in the first half of 2009 are up 18.5 percent over the first half of 2008, according to the World Bank-sponsored Global Anti-dumping Database organized by Chad P. Bown, a Brandeis University economics professor.

And China has become the main target of the rising protectionism.