WASHINGTON – The United States filed a trade complaint against China on Thursday for new duties it imposed on American-made cars and trucks.

The move came as President Obama kicked off a campaign bus tour through the manufacturing heartland of Pennsylvania and Ohio. The Ohio-built Jeep Wrangler is among the cars affected.

China levied the duties, which the administration said cover about $3.3 billion worth of auto exports to China, after the Obama administration bailed out General Motors and Chrysler in the wake of the financial crisis in 2008.

“As we have made clear, the Obama administration will continue to fight to ensure that China does not misuse its trade laws and violate its international trade commitments to block exports of American-made products," Ron Kirk, the United States trade representative, said in a statement confirming the trade case against China. “American auto workers and manufacturers deserve a level playing field and we are taking every step necessary to stand up for them.”