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HILLSBORO, Oregon – SolarWorld welcomed a set of final duties on a comprehensive scope of solar imports from China and Taiwan announced recently by the US Department of Commerce that addresses the company’s second set of trade cases over 3½ years. Comprehensively addressing the allegedly unfair trade practices of China and Taiwan will pave the way for expansion of solar manufacturing in the strong and growing US market, said the largest US solar manufacturer.
The department announced anti-dumping duty rates of 52.13% and anti-subsidy rates of 38.72% on most imports of solar panels made in China, and anti-dumping rates of 19.50% on most imports of solar cells made in Taiwan, regardless of where they are assembled into panels.
In separate SolarWorld cases concluded in December 2012, the US Commerce department imposed duties averaging about 31% on solar cells from China, regardless of where they are assembled into panels. Until recently, the Chinese industry largely evaded those duties by using cells made in Taiwan, according to federal import statistics.
SolarWorld said it was optimistic that the new duties, along with the scope of imports that they cover, can curb or offset the Chinese industry’s circumvention of duties to address improper trade practices in the company’s first cases. It added that the success of the new trade remedies will depend on steadfast enforcement. The remedies come just in time to enable the domestic industry to return to conditions of fair trade, according to Mukesh Dulani, US president of SolarWorld. He added that the tariffs and scope set the stage for companies to create new jobs and build or expand factories on US soil.
The duties will go into effect around February 1 if the US International Trade Commission (ITC) affirms that the Chinese and Taiwanese trade practices injured domestic manufacturers. The ITC, which has made three previous affirmative votes in the solar cases, is expected to take its fourth vote on January 20.
