BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Shenzhen's furniture industry maintained its strong growth momentum last year, figures released by an industry organization showed.

    Sales of the furniture industry totaled 25 billion yuan (US$3.02 billion) last year, surging 51.5 percent from a year earler, according to the Shenzhen Furniture Association.

    Furniture exports rose 15.63 percent year on year to US$1.48 billion despite a U.S. dumping charge that threatens to whittle down the city's exports.

    The United States is the largest overseas market for Shenzhen's furniture makers, which exported US$600 million worth of goods, or 48 percent of their total exports, to the country in 2002.

    But a group of U.S. makers of timber bedroom furniture filed an anti-dumping petition with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) last year, alleging that cheaper imports of Chinese timber bedroom furniture had hurt U.S. makers.

    The case is expected to be decided this fall. If the ITC and DOC rule in favor of the petition, then Chinese wood furniture makers have to pay high duties.

    Shenzhen furniture makers, who have strongly denied the accusation that they have dumped their products in the United States below cost, have pooled US$1.5 million to fight the charge.

    (Shenzhen Daily)