“The escalating trade conflict in the global solar industry will ultimately hurt the entire market at a time when solar energy is on the cusp of widespread adoption,” said SEIA president and chief executive Rhone Resch in a statement.
The Solar Energy Industries Association is working to diffuse the ongoing trade conflict between the United States and Chinese governments in responding to the latter’s assertion that six state-level U.S. renewable energy programs violate global trade rules.
“The escalating trade conflict in the global solar industry will ultimately hurt the entire market at a time when solar energy is on the cusp of widespread adoption,” said SEIA president and chief executive Rhone Resch in a statement.
A report said China’s Ministry of Commerce is claiming that renewable energy subsidies in five U.S. states are violating free-trade rules of the World Trade Organization. This comes five days after the U.S. Commerce Department announced tariffs as high as 250 percent on China-made solar cells.
SEIA’s said the ruling only necessitates the need for a dialogue. “While trade remedy proceedings, such as those being pursued by both the U.S. and Chinese governments are legitimate, essential principles of a rules-based global trading system, so too are collaboration and negotiation,” Mr. Resch said.
Mr. Resch adds that the dialogue must be through a broader context rather than focusing on one single trade dispute. “Disputes within one segment of the industry affect the entire solar supply chain – and these broad implications must be recognized,” he said.
SEIA and the China Renewable Energy Industries Association have requested both governments to engage the 21 member countries of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in a formal dialogue regarding clean energy trade.
“In the long run, continually escalating trade disputes in the solar industry will shut down markets around the world,” Mr. Resch said.
He adds that solar energy companies from all nations will be “the ultimate losers,” as exporters will find less destinations for product importations; project developers and local installers will find it more and more difficult to source products; and consumers will see solar energy as a less competitive source of electricity.
“This is an absolutely unacceptable outcome,” he said.
“A broader dialogue can only complement the legitimate avenues for trade remedies being pursued both here and abroad,” Mr. Resch said. – EcoSeed Staff
