BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) has decided to start an anti-dumping investigation into imported polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) products from Japan, the US, the Republic of Korea and Malaysia, it announced Thursday.

The probe was launched after the ministry received an application in April from Zhejiang NHU Special Materials Co. Ltd., according to an official statement.

The investigation, starting Thursday, should be concluded by May 30, 2020, and could, under special circumstances, be extended to November 30, 2020, according to the MOC.

PPS, a high-performance engineering thermoplastic, is widely used in textile, automobile, electronics, machinery, and aerospace industries.