Articles/Columns
The U.S. is Planning to Impose Import Duties on Chinese Solar Panels
According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the U.S. Commerce Department will start imposing duties on imports of Chinese solar panels. The duties will also apply to solar panel products manufactured in other countries that contain "Made in China" components. The duties are in response to U.S. investigative findings that revealed large subsidies from the Chinese government were provided to Chinese firms in the solar industry. These subsidies included unfair market advantages such as special business loans, land offerings, and tax breaks. Since Chinese firms have been able to under-cut many U.S. firms on price, some U.S. companies have gone bankrupts (such as Solyndra), and now Chinese companies retain about 50% of the U.S. solar panel market. According to Reuters, the U.S. imported $2.8 billion worth of solar cells and panels from China in 2011, compared to just $1.2 billion in 2010. The announced rates by U.S. officials will range from 2.9% to 4.73%. Supporters for the new import duties were expecting much higher rates to balance the state-sponsored subsidies in China. Since the rates are quite low, many industry experts expect minimal effects in terms of the competitiveness of Chinese manufacturers. On the other hand, many U.S. business leaders in the solar industry were content with the outcome, even with the low rates, since higher rates would have increased prices and lowered demand for solar products. In a separate, but related matter, the Commerce Department is also investigating Chinese solar companies on dumping charges, by selling their solar cells and panels in the U.S. at unfairly low prices to flood the market with Chinese goods. Additional anti-dumping duties to be applied to Chinese solar companies are expected to be announced in mid-May.
Source: Suntech Power Holdings homepage
（2012/3/21 掲載）