The U.S. Commerce Department on Thursday set preliminary dumping margins on Chinese refrigeration products whose technical name is 1, 1, 1, 2-Tetrafluoroethane, signaling that it may impose punitive duties on the products.

The department made its preliminary affirmative determination that 1, 1, 1, 2-Tetrafluoroethane from China had been "sold in the United States at dumping margins ranging from 133.47 percent to 237.33 percent".

Punitive duties would be imposed after both the Commerce Department and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) made affirmative final rulings, which are scheduled on Oct. 3 and Nov. 17, respectively. If the ITC makes a negative determination, the investigations will be terminated.

The U.S. Commerce Department launched the anti-dumping and countervailing duties probes over Chinese refrigeration products last year requested by Mexichem Fluor, Inc., a refrigerant producer based in the U.S. state of Louisiana.

The company alleged that these refrigeration products from China were sold below the fair value of the products in the U.S. market with dumping margins at 198.52 percent, and Chinese producers and exporters also received improper government subsidies.

Imports of these products from China were estimated at 34.7 million U.S. dollars last year, according to U.S. official data.

China has repeatedly urged Washington to honor its commitment against protectionism and work with China to maintain a free, open and just trade environment.