The U.S. companies are asking for countervailing duties equal to the difference between imported tower prices and the normal value of the product in the exporting country — 64.37 percent for Chinese towers and 59.11 percent for Vietnamese towers.

The complaint covers metal towers that hold wind turbines aloft, not the actual turbines or blades.

Thursday’s complaint is the latest wrinkle in a trade war that began in November when U.S. solar panel manufactures led by Hillsboro-based SolarWorld Industries America asked for a similar investigation and countervailing duties against Chinese manufacturers of solar cells. SolarWorld’s law firm, Wiley Rein, is also representing the wind tower manufacturers.

The Chinese have since launched their own investigations of U.S.-based makers of solar, hydro and wind-energy goods, with an eye toward imposing tariffs on U.S. exports to China.

A coalition of Chinese companies is also reportedly seeking a separate investigation into U.S. producers of polysilicon, a raw material used to make solar cells, for dumping product in China windgenerator below cost.

This newest petition was filed by Texas-based Trinity Structural Towers, DMI Industries of Fargo, North Dakota, Wisconsin-based Broadwind Towers Inc., and Katana Summit of Nebraska.

Vestas, a Danish home wind  turbine manufacturer that has its U.S. headquarters in Portland, produces wind towers in Colorado. But a spokeswoman said Vestas had not seen and was not part of the complaint.

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