China to urge U.S. not to levy tire duties

BEIJING (Reuters) - Beijing will urge U.S. President Barack Obama to desist from imposing duties on Chinese tires because such a step would send a worrying signal about trade protectionism, China's commerce ministry said on Friday.

The U.S. International Trade Commission recommended on Monday that Obama impose duties of up to 55 percent on Chinese tires coming into the United States because they are disrupting American markets.

China's Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on its website that the recommendation "is not reasonable and lacks objective evidence, which would not only seriously hinder the normal China-U.S. tire trade but also hurt the interests of U.S. tire consumers."

An official with the fair trade bureau in the Chinese ministry said in the statement that Beijing was very concerned by the case and would firmly stand against any punitive measures imposed on Chinese tire products.

The official added that China would urge Washington not to take any safeguard measures and not to "send wrong signals of trade protectionism."

Four members of the six-member U.S. trade commission recommended that Obama impose additional duties of 55 percent in the first year, 45 percent in the second year, and 35 percent in the third year on imports of passenger vehicle and light truck tires from China.

The trade commission will formally submit its recommendations to Obama in a report next month. He will then have until September to decide what, if any, action to take.

The case is seen as a test of how Obama will cope with a growing list of Chinese trade issues.

(Reporting by Zhou Xin and Simon Rabinovitch; Editing by Neil Fullick)