A US trade bill that could see tariffs and duties slapped on Chinese exports has prompted China to request a consultation with the US through the World Trade Organization.

The bill entitles the US Department of Commerce to continue levying countervailing duties on imports from non-market economies like China and Vietnam that it believes are subsidized.

US President Barack Obama signed the bill into law in March, despite a decision by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit that the US countervailing-duty law should not be applied to non-market economies.