By Li Yanping

Oct. 25 (Bloomberg) -- China urged the U.S. to avoid using protective measures against steel imports from the Asian nation.

``China's steel companies are competing with foreign counterparts under an open market environment,'' the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on its Web site late yesterday. ``There are no government subsidies and the government has taken several measures to limit steel exports,'' the ministry said after steelmakers and trade officials from the two nations met in Beijing for two days.

China has ``paid attention to maintaining balance in the global steel market'' as the world's No. 1 steel producer and consumer, the ministry said.

The U.S. decided on July 17 to impose duties on $200 million of steel pipe imports from China, South Korea and Mexico after a ruling by the U.S. International Trade Commission. As a result, Chinese exporters of light, rectangular piping face countervailing duties used to counter subsidies of as much as 200 percent of the price of the product, and anti-dumping duties, which compensate for goods sold overseas at prices below those at home, of as much as 265 percent.

China followed up by filing a World Trade Organization complaint in September against the U.S. over duties imposed on Chinese steel pipe.