THE US Commerce Department has levied new import duties on solar panels from China after ruling they were produced using Chinese government subsidies, Reuters reported.
The US arm of German solar manufacturer SolarWorld filed a complaint that Chinese manufacturers were avoiding duties imposed in 2012 by shifting cell production to Taiwan.
The new complaint seeks to close that loophole by extending import duties to cover parts made in Taiwan. The US accounted for 10 per cent of Chinese solar shipments last year.
"The duties will wipe out the price competitiveness of Chinese products in the US market," said Ping An Securities analyst Zhou Ziguang.
Beijing expressed "strong dissatisfaction" with the Ministry of Commerce saying the US had "ignored the facts" and abused trade rules to protect its own industry.
China retaliated against earlier American duties with anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on imports of US polysilicon, the raw material of solar cells.
In the US, the complaint has pitted SolarWorldIndustries America, which makes crystalline silicon solar panels in Oregon, against US solar companies that install solar panels.
"The ruling is a setback for the US solar industry because it will increase the price of solar power and cost jobs in one of fastest-growing sectors of the economy," said the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy.
But SolarWorld lawyer Tim Brightbill said: "This is a strong win for SolarWorld and the domestic solar manufacturing industry."
MARKETS
08 June 2014 - 22:07
US hits Chinese solar producers with tariffs for subsidising prices
THE US Commerce Department has levied new import duties on solar panels from China after ruling they were produced using Chinese government subsidies.
MARKETS
08 June 2014 - 22:07
US hits Chinese solar producers with tariffs for subsidising prices
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