China on Tuesday initiated an anti-dumping probe into imported pea starch from Canada, the Ministry of Commerce has said.

The probe was launched in response to an application from domestic enterprises in relevant industries, the ministry said.

It noted that preliminary evidence has shown that dumped Canadian pea starch imports have surged in recent years at prices consistently below domestic levels, causing operational difficulties and losses for the domestic industry, the ministry said.

The investigating authority has reviewed the application from domestic industries in accordance with Chinese laws and World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, confirming that it met the requirements to initiate an anti-dumping probe.

The ministry noted that the authority will conduct the investigation lawfully and issue an objective, impartial ruling based on its findings.

The anti-dumping investigation into Canadian pea starch -- a legitimate trade measure that is compliant with WTO rules to protect domestic industries -- is fundamentally different from Canada's recent discriminatory WTO-violating measures against China, the ministry stressed.

Pea starch is mainly used to make vermicelli and liangfen, which are cold jelly noodles, and it is also used as a food thickener in various industries, including food processing, pharmaceuticals and textiles.