Mexico's economy ministry opened an anti-dumping probe into Chinese seamless steel pipes Wednesday after local company TAMSA complained of price differences between the Asian imports and domestic production, according to a statement posted Thursday on the official website of China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM).

The investigation is for all Chinese-made pipes, regardless of the place from which they were imported.

TAMSA filed its probe request in late September, citing "considerable volumes of imports of seamless steel pipes from China, which entered the domestic market under discriminatory price terms," Mexico's economy ministry said in the Official Gazette published Wednesday.

TAMSA claimed the Chinese-made pipes were just half the price of the domestically made ones, and said such price differences hurt the local market.

It asked the government to investigate the period from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012.

Further analysis of damage to the local industry between January 1, 2009 and March 31, 2012 would also be part of the probe, Mexico's economy ministry said.

Chinese manufacturers related to the investigation can contact China Chamber of Commerce of Metals Minerals and Chemicals Importers and Exporters for further help, MOFCOM said Thursday.