China will study and may appeal the recent World Trade Organization ruling that rejected Chinese claims in in a dispute with the United States on extra duties on Chinese goods, China's Ministry of Commerce said.

"The Chinese side will carefully study the report and under the WTO dispute settlement procedures, handle issues such as an appeal," the Ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

The case involved treatment of goods from a country that is not a market economy, where the state sets or influences prices.

The WTO ruling on Friday backed the right of an importer to set duties on goods from such economies to compensate for unfair pricing and for subsidies. The two-year-old dispute turned on duties imposed by the United States on imports of Chinese steel pipes, off-road tyres and woven sacks.

The panel did back some Chinese complaints and called on the United States to bring its measures in line with WTO rules where they breached them. (Reuters)