Beijing will urge U.S. President Barack Obama to desist from imposing duties on Chinese tyres because such a step would send a worrying signal about trade protectionism, China's commerce ministry said on Friday.

The "worrying signal about trade protectionism" to which China's Trade Minister refers is the inevitable Chinese retaliation, perhaps on American tire manufacturers, or perhaps on others.

To avoid further tit-for-tat retaliations, President Obama must resist the temptation to slap tariffs on Chinese tires for the good of the American consumer, and the global economy at large.