WASHINGTON - The US International Trade Commission (ITC) Friday approved anti-dumping and countervailing investigations on crystalline silicon photovoltaic products from China, paving the way for the Department of Commerce to set preliminary duties in the months ahead.

The trade panel voted in the affirmative that there was a reasonable indication that a US industry was materially injured by imports of these products, the ITC said in a statement.

The US Department of Commerce will continue the investigations, launched on January 23, on imports of these products and is expected to make its preliminary countervailing duty determination in March and its anti-dumping duty determination in June.

The investigations are in response to the petition filed by SolarWorld Industries America Inc based in Oregon, which alleged that crystalline silicon photovoltaic products from China were sold below the fair value of the products in the US market, while Chinese producers and exporters also received "improper" government subsidies.

The crystalline silicon photovoltaic products from China under investigation were estimated at $2.1 billion in 2012, according to US official data.

The investigations would not include crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells imported from China that the US Commerce Department decided to levy anti-dumping duties and countervailing duties in 2012.

Beijing has repeatedly urged Washington to honor its commitment against protectionism and work with China to maintain a free, open and just trade environment.