Commerce sets imports duties for Chinese solar panels

The Commerce Department on Tuesday ruled that solar cells and panels for generating electric power made in China and Taiwan have been dumped on the U.S. market.    The Commerce Department on Tuesday ruled that solar cells and panels for generating electric power made in China and Taiwan have been dumped on the U.S. market at less than fair-market value, as well as determined the Chinese government provides subsidies to its domestic solar cell manufacturers to help drive their exports.
   Commerce specifically determined that imports of solar cells and panels from China have sold in the United States at dumping margins ranging from 26.71 percent to 165.04 percent, while the department found similar products from Taiwan had dumping margins ranging from 11.45 percent to 27.55 percent.
   Commerce further noted that Chinese-made solar cells and panels received countervailable subsidies ranging from 27.64 percent to 49.79 percent.
   As a result of these determinations, Commerce said it will instruct Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits equal to the applicable dumping and countervailing subsidy amounts.
   In 2013, imports of certain crystalline silicon photovoltaic products from China and Taiwan were valued at about $1.5 billion and $656.8 million, respectively.
   The U.S. International Trade Commission is expected to make its final injury determinations by Jan. 29. If the ITC makes affirmative final determinations, then Commerce will issue antidumping and countervailing duty orders on these products. However, if the commission makes negative determinations of injury, the investigations will be terminated, Commerce said.
   The petitioner for these investigations is SolarWorld Americas of Hillsboro, Ore.
   SolarWorld, the largest U.S. solar manufacturer, praised the Commerce Department for issuing final duties on a comprehensive scope of solar imports in the company’s second set of trade cases over the past three and a half years. SolarWorld said that Commerce, by comprehensively addressing the allegedly unfair trade practices of China and Taiwan, has paved the way for expansion of solar manufacturing in the U.S. market.
   “These remedies come just in time to enable the domestic industry to return to conditions of fair trade,” said Mukesh Dulani, U.S. president of SolarWorld, in a statement. “The tariffs and scope set the stage for companies to create new jobs and build or expand factories on U.S. soil.”
   SolarWorld said it’s “optimistic” the new duties will “curb or offset the Chinese industry’s circumvention of duties to address improper trade practices in the company’s first cases.” However, the company warned the success of the new trade remedies will depend on U.S. government enforcement.