The Ministry of Commerce decided to levy anti-dumping tariffs on certain high-performance stainless steel seamless tubes imported from the European Union and Japan that are harming Chinese producers, according to a statement on the ministry's website on Tuesday.

The decision, following a market investigation launched in September, will be effective from Wednesday. Importers of certain high-performance stainless steel seamless tubes are being asked to pay duties from 9.7 percent to 39.2 percent of the tubes' value.

The ministry said certain high-performance stainless steel seamless tubes from the EU and Japan are sold at an unfairly low price, resulting in industrial damage to Chinese manufacturers.

China is the world's largest steel consumer and producer. The United States has set duties on Chinese steel products, including pipes, steel wheels and wire.