The steel wire strand is primarily used in concrete construction applications.

U.S. steel companies have brought a number of cases against China in recent years, covering a variety of steel products.

Just this month, the Commerce Department has set preliminary duties on steel drill pipe from China and final duties on steel wire decking used in industrial rack systems and steel grating used in industrial floors and docks.

Meanwhile, two U.S. senators -- Charles Schumer of New York and Sherrod Brown of Ohio -- urged Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to quickly make a decision to investigate charges that China is subsidizing exports by undervaluing its currency.

U.S. coated paper producers have raised that issue in case against China they filed last year.

The Commerce Department has refused to investigate the currency charge in previous countervailing duty cases. But it has said in the coated paper case it would reexamine whether there were legal grounds to launch such a probe.

In their letter released on Thursday, Schumer and Brown said they were frustrated that it has already taken the Commerce Department three months to decide the issue.

"The time for delay is over. We owe it to our paper companies and their workers to use the tools at our disposal to ensure that trade is conducted on a fair basis, free of dumping and huge government subsidies," the senators said. (Reporting by Doug Palmer; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)