The number of trade remedy investigations against Chinese products reached a historic high in 2016, with nearly half of the cases aimed at the steel industry, Ministry of Commerce spokesman Sun Jiwen said on Thursday.

China faced 119 trade remedy investigations launched by 27 countries and regions in 2016, up 36.8 percent year-on-year. The total value involved increased by 76 percent year-on-year to $14.34 billion, data from the ministry showed.

Many countries, including some European Union members, the United States and Mexico, imposed trade barriers on the Chinese photovoltaic, tile and tire products.

"(In 2016) there was a clear tendency that trade friction was politicized and trade measures were extreme. Tariff rates under the final ruling were generally high," said Sun.

To cope with the growing trade disputes, the ministry said it was striving to create a fair trade environment.

The ministry conducted five trade remedy investigations and 12 re-investigations against imported products to ensure its industrial operation and global market share.

Sun said: "In a time of weak global economic recovery, we hope all countries could use the trade remedy measures in a prudent, restrained and normal way."

Professor Shi Xiaoli from the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing said: "The increasing trade friction was partially attributed to the sluggish steel industry worldwide amid a weak economic recovery."

As supply-side structural reform deepens in the industry, anti-dumping probes could decrease in 2017, Shi said.