The first quarter of 2010 saw a substantial decrease in global protectionist cases, the World Bank said in a report released on Tuesday.

According to the report, there was a 20-percent decrease in newly initiated investigations in which domestic industries request the imposition of new import restrictions compared to the number during the same time period in 2009.

It follows the fourth quarter 2009 which also saw a 20-percent decrease relative to the same time period in 2008.

In the first three months of 2010, thirteen different WTO member economies initiated new trade remedy investigations. Developing countries initiated 74 percent of the new investigations, while industrialized economies initiated the remaining 26 percent.

However, China's exporters continued to be the dominant target, being named in 47 percent of the new country-level investigations that may result in import restrictions, said the report.