WASHINGTON, July 25 -- The U.S. Commerce Department on Friday set preliminary dumping margins on imported photovoltaic products from China, signaling that it may impose punitive duties on the products.

The department made its preliminary affirmative determination that crystalline silicon photovoltaic products from Chinese mainland and Taiwan had been sold in the United States at dumping margins ranging from 26.33 percent to 165.04 percent, and 27.59 percent to 44.18 percent, respectively.

Punitive duties would be imposed after both the Commerce Department and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) made affirmative final rulings, which are scheduled on Dec. 15, 2014 and Jan. 29, 2015, respectively. If the ITC makes a negative determination, the investigations will be terminated.

The investigations are in response to a 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 U.S. market, while Chinese producers and exporters also received "improper" government subsidies.

It was the second U.S. investigation against Chinese photovoltaic products after a similar one in 2011, which seriously affected the Chinese photovoltaic industry and hindered the development of U.S. photovoltaic application market. China's Ministry of Commerce has reiterated its calls for the United States to objectively and fairly handle ongoing solar trade disputes, honor its commitment against protectionism and work with China to maintain a free, open and just trade environment.