WASHINGTON - The US Commerce Department Tuesday set preliminary subsidy rates on imports of aluminum foil from China. China, for its part, has urged US authorities to abide by World Trade Organization (WTO) rules in its investigation of aluminum imports.

The Commerce Department said in a statement that it had set preliminary subsidy rates ranging from 16.56 percent to 80.97 percent for Chinese exporters and producers of aluminum foil.

Punitive duties would be imposed after both the Commerce Department and the US International Trade Commission (USITC) make affirmative final rulings. The Commerce Department is scheduled to make its final determination around Oct 23, unless the statutory deadline is extended.

The department launched anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations into imports of aluminum foil from China in March, in response to a request from the US Aluminum Association Trade Enforcement Working Group.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has urged the US authorities to enact decisions of the WTO and appellate bodies and give Chinese exporters fair counter-argument rights.

Improper trade remedy measures will hurt the interests of Chinese aluminum foil exporters and dent the competitiveness of US downstream sectors, affecting employment and consumer interests and leading to a lose-lose situation, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said.