A U.S. manufacturer on Thursday asked U.S. officials to investigate cheap imports of silicomanganese from Australia, the first step in a trade dispute that could lead to import duties on the products.

West Virginia-based Felman Production LLC said large and increasing volumes of low-priced imports of silicomanganese, an alloy additive used to make steel, from Tasmanian Electro Metallurgical Co have "significantly undercut" U.S. prices and contributed to Felman shutting down production from June 2013 to July 2014.

"Dumped silicomanganese from Australia has had a devastating impact on U.S. market conditions in recent years, but we are not giving up," Felman Chief Executive Officer Mordechai Korf said in a statement. He said Felman, which restarted two of its furnaces last year, filed a complaint so manufacturers could "compete on a level playing field."

The complaint was lodged with the U.S. Department of Commerce and International Trade Commission by law firm Cassidy Levy Kent.( WASHINGTON, Feb 19 (Reuters)

• [Editor:Sophie]