The biggest offenders were said to be Wuxi Suntech and Trina Solar with preliminary dumping margins of 31.22 percent and 31.14 percent respectively
The United States Department of Commerce has found that several Chinese solar cell producers and exporters have been selling solar products in the United States at artificially low prices and has slapped them with anti-dumping duties between 31 percent and 250 percent.
The biggest offenders were said to be Wuxi Suntech and Trina Solar with preliminary dumping margins of 31.22 percent and 31.14 percent respectively, but 59 other Chinese exporters were given anti-dumping duties of 31.18 percent while all other Chinese producers/exporters received a preliminary dumping margin of 249.96 percent.
The preliminary determinations on the anti-dumping duties were released on May 17. The Commerce Department is scheduled to make their final determination in early October 2012.
The trade action comes in response to a formal complaint filed last October by SolarWorld and several other unnamed companies belonging to the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing. The American companies alleged that the U.S. solar industry had been losing jobs due to Chinese firms selling solar cells and panels at unfairly low prices with the help of financial support from the Chinese government.
“For the many former employees of at least 12 solar producers that have staged layoffs, shuttered plants or entered bankruptcies since 2010, it may be too late. But today’s announcement gives rise to the possibility that domestic solar manufacturing, environmentally sustainable solar production and robust global competition might one day soon return to boosting U.S. manufacturing, jobs and energy security,” said Gordon Brinser, president of SolarWorld Industries America Inc. and leader of the Coalition for Solar Manufacturing in a statement.
While SolarWorld may be happy with the outcome, several of the companies impacted by the decision released statements protesting the findings.
«As we’ve stated before, tariffs are disruptive and destructive for the entire solar industry,» said Mr. Liangsheng Miao, chairman and chief executive officer of Yingli Green Energy. «We remain fully committed to serving the U.S. market irrespective of the outcome of these proceedings, and we will continue to strive for a global, competitive marketplace.”
Suntech, also protested the tariffs, pointing out that the duties did not reflect the reality of a highly-competitive global solar industry.
«Despite these harmful trade barriers, we hope that the U.S., China, and all countries will engage in constructive dialogue to avert a deepening solar trade war. Suntech opposes trade barriers at any point in the global solar supply chain. All leading companies in the global solar industry want to see a trade war averted. We need more competition and innovation, not litigation,» the company said in a statement.
Meanwhile, American solar trade association Solar Energy Industries Association also released a statement calling on both the United States and Chinese governments to work together to resolve the growing trade conflict.
SEIA president Rhone Resch cautioned that the dispute could spread over the entire solar supply chain and jeopardize the industry and U.S. investments. – EcoSeed Staff
