BEIJING — President Obama’s trade case against China on cars and auto parts will have little immediate impact on jobs and companies in the United States, but it is one of the few legal options available to the United States as China’s auto industry faces overcapacity problems and looks overseas to increase sales.

In filing the case on Monday with the World Trade Organization, Mr. Obama was making a political gesture to Midwestern states coping with the pressure that Chinese exports are placing on the American auto industry. But actual effects are likely to be delayed and limited.

World Trade Organization cases typically take a year and a half to resolve. And unlike antidumping and antisubsidy cases, which can result in steep tariffs on imports that stay in place for years, the trade organization cases often end with the losing country simply abandoning the offending policy.

There can be a requirement that companies repay previous subsidies, but that is often difficult to enforce and can require further years of legal wrangling.