U.S. stocks turned flat on Monday, lifted by shares of basic materials companies, as commodity prices pared losses and the U.S. dollar lost steam.

Wall Street had opened lower as a decision by the United States to impose special duties on Chinese tires sparked investor concerns about a possible trade dispute.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 9.90 points, or 0.10 percent, to 9,595.51. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> fell 0.30 points, or 0.03 percent, to 1,042.43. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> lost 0.16 points, or 0.01 percent, to 2,080.74.

(Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)