US adds further heavy duties to solar panels made in China; Taiwan hit hard

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

The US Department of Commerce (DoC) has announced preliminary antidumping duties of up to 165% on panels partially manufactured in China.

The complaint, filed by SolarWorld America, sought to stop Chinese manufacturers from avoiding duties by using cells manufactured overseas, particularly in Taiwan.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Taiwanese cell manufacturers Gintech will face 27.59%, Motech 44.18% and the rest of Taiwan 35.89% under the latest duties. Full details of the duties are available on the Department of Commerce website.

The final determination of the duties is scheduled for early 2015.

“We and our workers are gratified to hear that the US government once again has moved to block foreign government interference in our economy and clear the way for the domestic production industry to be able to compete on a level playing field,” said Mukesh Dulani, president of SolarWorld Industries America. “We should not have to compete with dumped imports or the Chinese government. Today’s actions should help the US solar manufacturing industry to expand and innovate.”

The charges are in addition to preliminary anti-subsidy rates as high as 35% that were applied to modules made by Chinese manufacturers that used certain key components produced outside mainland China.

Jigar Shah, president of the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE), which opposes tariffs, urged both sides to find a settlement. “We urge SolarWorld AG to work with the US solar industry and choose to end their continued litigation in favour of a win-win solution like the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) settlement proposal. CASE members, which represent the industry majority, demand a solution that ends uncertainty in the marketplace by preventing further trade litigation and that allows solar power to compete cost-effectively with traditional energy sources, thus enabling the market’s further growth. To aid in this process, we ask President Obama to make resolving the solar trade dispute a priority on his clean energy agenda and convene the parties for negotiations.

“Today’s determination is another unnecessary obstacle for the US solar industry that will hinder the deployment of clean energy by raising the prices of solar products. Due to these tariffs, previously viable projects will go unbuilt, American workers will go unhired and consumers that could have saved money through solar energy may not be able to benefit,” aded Shah.  

“CASE members are particularly disappointed that SolarWorld’s request to expand the scope of products affected by the solar dispute remains under consideration by the Department of Commerce. Accepting a broader scope would disregard decades of legal precedent that define scope using the ‘single country of origin’ and ‘substantial transformation’ trade rules. The proposed new scope is also fundamentally inconsistent with the Department’s own previous determination in the 2012 solar cell dispute,” concluded Shah. 

Previous trade duties announced in 2012 will continue to apply on panels manufactured entirely in China.

A report by Taiwan-based analyst EnergyTrend earlier this week claimed that a combination of aggressive shipping to the US by manufacturers earlier this year and domestic US PV manufacturing, would ensure that the US was able to meet expected demand of 6GW in 2014.
 

Read Next

February 18, 2025
Spanish renewables developer Ecoener has secured a US$43.1 million loan to finance a 60MW solar PV plant in the Dominican Republic.
February 18, 2025
Chinese solar manufacturer Tongwei has ended its plan to acquire a controlling stake in fellow Chinese manufacturer Runergy.
February 18, 2025
Sunnova said the job cuts are part of “an optimisation of its business" and the cuts will save around US$35 million.
February 18, 2025
Chinese solar manufacturer LONGi has filed a lawsuit in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas against Jinko Solar.
February 18, 2025
Co-located solar and battery projects are among the most cost-competitive power sources, according to speakers at the Energy Storage Summit.
February 18, 2025
Germany has now installed more than 100GW of solar PV after adding 1.1GW in January 2025, according to monthly data from the German Federal Network Agency.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
February 19, 2025
Tokyo, Japan
Solar Media Events
March 11, 2025
Frankfurt, Germany
Solar Media Events
March 18, 2025
Sydney, Australia