The United States had filed two cases against China at the World Trade Organization (WTO), the U.S. trade representative Ron Kirk announced on Wednesday.

One case requests dispute settlement consultations, the first step in litigation, regarding China's imposition of anti-dumping duties and countervailing duties on imports of grain oriented flat- rolled electrical steel (GOES) from the United States, while the other case requests consultations regarding dispute over U.S. suppliers of electronic payment services, Kirk said in a statement.

Consultations are the first step in a WTO dispute. Parties that do not resolve a matter through consultations within 60 days may request the establishment of a WTO dispute settlement panel, according to the WTO rules.

The GOES is used by the power-generating industry in transformers, reactors, and other large electric machines.