BEIJING - Trade remedy investigations into Chinese products came down markedly around the world in the first half of the year but were still at a high level, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Thursday.

Fifteen countries and regions initiated a total of 37 investigations involving goods worth $5.3 billion, down from 65 cases worth $8.5 billion during the same period of 2016.

Despite the decline, the numbers are still high compared with the average during the past five years, MOC spokesperson Gao Feng said at a press conference.

Of the total, 32 were anti-subsidy or anti-dumping investigations and the remainder were related to safeguarding measures.

India initiated 12 investigations during the January-June period, followed by the United States with 11. The light industry saw the most cases, while mechanical and electrical sectors saw the largest amounts of goods investigated.

As a major economy and exporter, China has become the main target of trade remedy investigations as protectionism is on the rise amid a sluggish global economy.

Trade remedies should have a proper limit and stay in line with World Trade Organization rules, Gao said, adding that China opposes the abuse of such measures. He also called for more talks and cooperation to dissolve friction.