MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Events in Madison and Washington, D.C., have focused attention on complaints of Wisconsin paper mills about unfair competition from Chinese and German producers.

A few dozen people protested at the state Capitol over the closure of the Kimberly paper mill by NewPage Corporation.

The shutdown last month ended 600 jobs and has been blamed on market conditions.

Protesters want NewPage to reopen the mill or sell it to someone who will.

NewPage contends the mills in China and Germany are illegally dumping products in the U.S. at articially low prices.

In Washington, the Appleton paper company made the same complaint to the U.S. International Trade Commission yesterday.

Governor Jim Doyle, Senator Herb Kohl and Congressmen Tom Petri and Steve Kagen told the commission action should be taken to protect U.S. companies.

The foreign companies could face new import taxes on their products depending on the commission's decision, execpted at the end of October.