Survey: 82% of EU oppose trade duties

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

A survey conducted by solar products supplier Solar Traders has revealed 82% of the European solar industry is against the imposition of duties against Chinese module manufacturers.

The duties would destabilise the PV industry and would result in further loss of revenue by “up to 60%” with “tens of thousands” of job losses.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Participants also disagreed with lobby groups like EU ProSun that raised the complaint against Chinese manufacturers with the European Commission that duties would create a level playing field and increase the competitiveness of European products.

The participants argued that Chinese retaliation which is expected post-implementation of duties would negate any benefits that duties could bring.

Furthermore, participants against duties noted that duties would slow down the growth of solar energy and increase the amount of time it would take for it to reach grid parity with traditional sources of electricity.

Participants in favour of duties said they would encourage installers to use European products which would decrease pricing pressure and would help to safeguard the growth of the solar industry in Europe.

However, the survey did not provide details of which part of the value chain participants were involved in.

Solar Trader was unavailable for comment.

Read Next

Premium
October 10, 2025
Gaëtan Masson of IEA PVPS warns of overcapacity, collapsing prices and slipping module quality in the new Trends in PV Applications report.
October 10, 2025
The European solar module market has reached a “state of equilibrium” in recent weeks, with stable prices and regular demand.
October 10, 2025
US solar recycling firm OnePlanet has achieved the R2v3 certification from electronics sustainability non-profit SERI, which represents the “highest standards of traceability”.
October 10, 2025
NTPC Renewable Energy Limited has signed an MoU with the Government of Gujarat to develop 15GW renewable energy projects in Gujarat.
October 10, 2025
Australia's renewable energy sector recorded its slowest month of the year for additions in September, with 5.8GW of new projects added to development pipelines, according to data from Rystad Energy.
October 9, 2025
The Australian government has announced the results of the fourth Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) tender, with 6.6GW of renewables awarded long-term contracts.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK