China began an antidumping probe Friday into imports of raw nylon material from Japan, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Russia, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said.
Four Japanese companies -- Mitsubishi Chemical Corp., Sumitomo Chemical Co., Toray Industries Inc. and Ube Industries Ltd. -- are subject to the probe, which is expected to last for a year, the ministry said.
Chinese trade data show Japan's exports to China of the material, called caprolactam, amount to 72,000 tons, while Russia ships 94,000 tons, the Netherlands 20,000 tons, Belgium 16,000 tons and Germany 7,000 tons, a ministry official said.
Caprolactam is an organic chemical used in producing nylon fibers and resins, the ministry said.
Under Chinese antidumping regulations, Beijing will investigate allegations that these companies export the product to China at unfairly low prices and damage Chinese industry, it said.
Trade row strategy
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said the two Cabinet ministers scheduled to visit Beijing early next week will be given a free hand to solve a lingering trade row with China involving tit-for-tat import curbs, trade minister Takeo Hiranuma said Friday.
The government is making arrangements with China to hold a ministerial meeting in Beijing on Monday and Tuesday and will make a final decision on whether to send the ministers based on the outcome of senior working-level talks that were scheduled for Friday in Beijing.
Koizumi plans to dispatch Hiranuma, minister of economy, trade and industry, and Tsutomu Takebe, minister of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, for talks with Shi Guangsheng, China's minister of foreign trade and economic cooperation.
Hiranuma said the prime minister told him that he has asked Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers representing farmers to give the ministers free reign during the negotiations.
The two ministers said they would do their best to achieve results, Hiranuma added.
"If a ministerial meeting is to be held, it will be held on the presumption of yielding some results," Hiranuma said.
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