WASHINGTON – The U.S. government is imposing new duties on imports of steel pipes from China, the latest sign of trade tensions between the two countries.

The case is the largest steel trade dispute in U.S. history and will affect about $2.8 billion worth of Chinese imports.

A group of U.S. steelmakers and the United Steelworkers union sought the duties in April, arguing that the Chinese steel industry was flooding the U.S. market with pipes sold at unfairly low prices, a practice known as "dumping."

The Chinese companies also benefited from government subsidies, the U.S. industry said. Read »