The U.S. government has requested that the World Trade Organization (WTO) establish a dispute settlement panel to examine Chinese export restraints on numerous raw materials described as critical to U.S. manufacturers and workers, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) said Wednesday.

The raw materials at issue include bauxite, coke, fluorspar, magnesium, manganese, silicon metal, silicon carbide, yellow phosphorous and zinc. All are key inputs for numerous products in the steel, aluminum and chemical industries around the world.

The United States...