US rejects charge of putting up trade walls

Official says anti-dumping duties only tiny part of overall trade ties

BOAO, Hainan - A senior US official on Saturday rejected charges that the country was protectionist on matters relating to trade, saying instead that Beijing and Washington were working together to help the global economy recover.

Under Secretary of State Robert Hormats made the remarks on the same day that the United States set final anti-dumping duties ranging from 30 percent to 99 percent on more than $1 billion worth of China-made steel pipe imports. "When you look at the mechanism of trade, I don't see protectionism. There are some trade frictions, but it involves very few products, compared to the huge volume of trade. Any measures that have been taken are a very small part compared to the overall volume of trade," Hormats told China Daily.