The US is taking China before the World Trade Organization (WTO) to stop a series of subsidies that give Chinese exporters an unfair advantage, the government said Friday.

In a complaint filed with the Geneva-based WTO, the world's official arbiter of trade disputes, the US said China has been providing subsidies across its export industries under its 'Famous Brands' programme that are illegal under world trade rules.

The subsidies include cash grants, preferential loans and research funding for companies that export goods abroad, the US said.

'We were disturbed to find that China still appears to be using WTO-illegal measures to promote its exports, ranging from textiles and refrigerators to beer and peanuts,' US Trade Representative Susan Schwab said in a statement.

We are going to the WTO today because we are determined to use all resources available to fight industrial policies that aim to unfairly promote Chinese-branded products at the expense of American workers,' she said.