BEIJING -- China has decided to extend existing anti-dumping measures on trichloroethylene (TCE) imported from Russia and Japan for another five years, after concluding that importing the chemical can hurt local manufacturers, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Thursday.

Revoking the current anti-dumping duties on these products from Russia and Japan would likely lead to a continuation or recurrence of material damage to the domestic industry, the MOC said in a statement posted on its website.

The MOC said it had decided to maintain the punitive duties of up to 159 percent on all TCE made in Russia and Japan for five more years, starting July 22.

The ruling came after a one-year review process requested by China's domestic TEC producers on May 21, 2010.

China began to levy anti-dumping duties on TCE imported from Russia and Japan on July 22, 2005. The MOC set final anti-dumping duties of 159 percent on the imported TCE from Russia and Japan to offset below-market pricing, except for Russia-based Usoliekhimprom LLC, which was given a 3-percent anti-dumping tax.

Trichloroethylene is widely used as a cleaning agent in the production of home electronic appliances