Japan may file a complaint with the World Trade Organization over U.S. antidumping measures that target imports of surface-treated sheet steel, government officials said Wednesday.

The move follows the submission of a request on the matter by the Japan Iron and Steel Federation to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the officials said.

The steel industry group claims the United States has maintained antidumping tariffs on the sheet steel for more than eight years, despite WTO rules limiting the imposition of such tariffs to less than five years.

The steel is used to make automobile bodies.

Although the government will probably continue working-level negotiations with Washington over the issue, an official said, "Settlement (through such talks) will be difficult."

If the government complies with the federation's request, it will be the second WTO complaint lodged by Japan against the U.S. in the steel sector after its 1999 complaint concerning hot-rolled sheets.

"We can't overlook the abuse of antidumping rules anymore," remarked an official at a Japanese steelmaker.

Industry officials noted that the damage inflicted by the antidumping tariffs is limited because Japanese steelmakers have shifted production to the United States since the 1990s, following local production by Japanese automakers.

They added, however, that they are afraid the U.S. could implement similar measures against other steel products if Japan does not take the case to the WTO.

"We intend to seek strict enforcement of the (antidumping) rules to prevent future damage rather than recover the damage so far," an official at the federation said.

Meanwhile, Japan is expected to propose that the rules governing the imposition of antidumping measures be toughened during a new round of WTO global trade talks in Geneva beginning at the end of this month.