China imposes pecan levies on US and Mexico

China will impose new levies on pecans imported from the United States and Mexico after a preliminary anti-dumping ruling, the Chinese commerce ministry said Monday.

The measures take effect Tuesday. Pecans from Mexican producers will face levies of 17.8 percent to 51.6 percent, while pecans from US companies will face a blanket 54.3 percent rate.

The ministry said preliminary evidence indicated that the products under investigation were being dumped and were causing substantial damage to the relevant domestic industry. It opened the anti-dumping investigation in September last year.

The decision comes as trade friction continues between China and the United States despite plans for Chinese leader Xi Jinping to visit the US and meet President Donald Trump in September.

China announced restrictions on drone exports to the US on Wednesday in response to Washington's trade sanctions over forced labour and national security concerns. In July, the US banned imports of humanoid robots manufactured abroad, a measure that mainly affects Chinese firms that lead in the sector.