Stacks of rebar await delivery at Shanxi Zhongsheng Iron and Steel in Fenyang, Shanxi province, China, April 28, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON -- The US Commerce Department on Tuesday set final dumping margins on imports of cold-rolled steel flat products from China and Japan, signaling that it may impose punitive duties on those products.

The department made its affirmative final determination that these cold-rolled steel products from China and Japan had been sold in the United States at dumping margins of 265.79 percent and 71.35 percent, respectively.

The department also determined that producers and exporters of these Chinese products received countervailing subsidies of 256.44 percent.

Punitive duties would be imposed after the US International Trade Commission (ITC) made an affirmative final rule, which is scheduled for June 30. If the ITC makes a negative determination, the anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations into these products will be terminated.

In 2015, imports of these products from China and Japan under investigation were estimated at about 272.3 million US dollars and 138.6 million dollars, respectively, according to US official data.

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce has repeatedly urged the United States to abide by its commitment against trade protectionism and work together with China and other members of the international community to maintain a free, open and just international trade environment.

China will take enforcement actions against the United States under the World Trade Organization dispute settlement framework to urge the latter to stop illegal anti-dumping activities, the ministry said Friday in a statement.