Parnell 05 Jan 2015 Chinese solar firms boosted by reduced 2012 US trade tariffs A number of Chinese solar manufacturers will benefit from reduced dumping margins following a preliminary review by the US Department of Commerce of tariffs introduced in 2012.
Yingli, Canadian Solar, Trina Solar, ReneSola and Jinko Solar have had rates reduced to 1.82%. Yingli was given a rate of 25.96% in 2012, while Trina was given 18.32% and Suntech 31.73%.
The new rates only apply to imports from May 2012 to November 2013 and further reviews are ongoing. The deposit rate that manufacturers must pay to cover their imports has not been affected.
“The proposed lower tariff rates are a step in the right direction for the US solar industry, and we applaud the Department of Commerce for reviewing competitive information and adjusting the tariffs downward,” said Jigar Shah, president, Coalition for Affordable Energy (CASE), which campaigns against trade duties in the solar industry.
“Lowering the tariff import tax means more American consumers will be able to afford solar power and more American solar companies will be able to expand their hiring."
“While this is positive news, it does not solve the underlying problem. The US solar industry remains unfairly penalised by a trade policy that inflates the cost of solar power and has already expanded to include imports from Taiwan,” said Shah. “We continue to urge the governments of the United States and China to negotiate an end to the trade war for the benefit of all countries involved.”
A second trade case, designed to close a loophole that saw Chinese firms using Taiwanese cells to avoid the original duties, yielded further tariffs for Chinese manufacturers in December 2014. It was thought that some may opt to export Chinese-only modules and except the 2012 duties rather than the 2014 rates. |