The U.S. Department of Commerce has decided to impose anti-dumping and countervailing duties on solar products imported from Southeast Asia.
On Sunday, the Department released findings from its investigation into solar cells and panels from Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The probe concluded that these imports were being dumped in the U.S. market and had received subsidies from the Chinese government.
The Commerce Department’s report revealed that companies in these four nations had benefited from Chinese government subsidies. This marks the first time the U.S. has acted against firms receiving such subsidies. American solar manufacturers, long concerned about unfair competition, view this move as a response to their appeals.
The new tariffs will mainly impact major solar manufacturers, including Chinese giants JinkoSolar and Trina Solar. These companies set up Southeast Asian production to export products to the U.S. at competitive prices. The measure is designed to level the field and reduce abnormal price competition in the U.S. market.
The imposed duty rates vary significantly by company and country of origin. Anti-dumping duties range from 6.1% to 271.28%, while countervailing duties span from 14.64% to 3,403.96%. This action follows a year-long investigation prompted by concerns from the American Solar Manufacturing Trade Alliance, a coalition of U.S. solar manufacturers, including Hanwha Q CELLS USA and First Solar.
Reuters evaluated the Commerce Department’s decision as a crucial step in addressing unfair competition from foreign rivals and resolving the concerns of U.S. manufacturers. To finalize this measure, the U.S. International Trade Commission must decide in June whether domestic industry damage has occurred.
Most Commented