The US Department of Commerce has delayed the preliminary anti-dumping decision hearing from 11 June to 24 July.
In a document seen by PV Tech, the DoC said: “The Department concludes that the parties involved in these investigations are cooperating and determines that these investigations are extraordinarily complicated by reason of the number and complexity of the transactions to be investigated and adjustments to be considered and the number of firms whose activities must be investigated”.
Any prelimary anti-dumping duties would likely begin the following week once they had been recorded in the Federal Register, according to Richard Weiner, partner at Sidley Austin, the law firm representing the Chinese manufacturers.
In March John Smirnow, vice president of trade and competitiveness at the US Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) confirmed that the groups’ compromise document had helped initiate talks on a negotiated settlement.
“It’s still very early stage. We think there is a real opportunity to start a negotiating dialogue in the near term,” he told PV Tech at the time. “I’m not aware of any talks around any other proposal.
The anti-subsidy case postponed its first hearing from 28 March to 2 June. Consultancy firm EnergyTrend claimed that delay could drive up PV prices.