Thenewspaper,publishedbyChina'sMinistryofCommerce,citedCaoYingchao,secretarygeneraloftheChinaNationalFurnitureAssociation.
TheBushadministrationproposedthetariffs,whichcouldtakeeffectnextweekalthoughafinaldecisionisnotexpecteduntilDecember.
ThedecisionhasalsopromptedprotestsfromtheFurnitureRetailersofAmerica,agrouprepresentingsome3,500retailers.
ThedisputesoverfurnitureimportseruptedasU.S.CommerceSecretaryDonaldEvansandLaborSecretaryElaineChaobeganafour-dayvisitMondayfortalksaimedatboostingU.S.exportstoChina.
EvansandChaoweretomeetMondaywithbusinessleadersinHarbin,acityinChina'sindustrialnortheast,beforetravelingtoBeijing.
Thewoodenfurniturerulingisoneof17U.S.antidumpingordersplacedonChineseproducts,andthelargestofthe26casesinitiatedbytheU.S.CommerceDepartment.
MorethantwodozenAmericanfurnituremanufacturersandtheirunionsfiledapetitionlastfallseekinganinvestigationintoChina'sexports,whichaccountedfornearlyaquarteroftheUS$4.4billioninwoodenbedroomfurnituresalesin2002.

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