(Yicai Global) March 28 -- The U.S.'s Accuride Corp. and Maxion Wheels Akron LLC filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission, demanding anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations against some Chinese steel wheel products, China's ministry of commerce said on its website.

Both companies alleged dumping margins of 11.3 percent to 231.7 percent. No specific subsidy rates were cited. The move comes at a time when trade frictions between the world's two largest economies have heightened after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum to impose new tariffs on China.

China exported USD420 million worth of steel wheel products to the U.S. last year, showed data from the U.S. government institutions.

Accuride is one of the world's largest manufacturers and suppliers of commercial vehicle components. Maxion is a leading supplier of steel wheels for commercial trucking. The U.S. International Trade Commission unanimously rejected a similar petition from Accuride against Chinese steel wheel imports in 2012.