MashGet

BEIJING-China on Friday strongly criticized an announcement that the Obama administration had determined preliminary duties on U.S. imports of pipe from China, intensifying trade frictions between the two countries a little more than a week ahead of a visit to China by the U.S. president.

The announcement of the duties by the U.S. Commerce Department late Thursday is the latest installment in a lengthening list of trade disputes between the U.S. and China that has escalated since a decision in September by the U.S. to hit Chinese tire exporters with punitive tariffs.