The US International Trade Commission (USITC) and the Dept. of Commerce introduced in the present day that it’ll examine claims made by the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee that silicon photo voltaic cells and panels manufactured in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are nonetheless being dumped on the US market in costs that make home producers unable to compete. The committee filed the antidumping/countervailing obligation (AD/CVD) petition final month.
This is the second AD/CVD investigation into the export practices of photo voltaic cell and panel producers in Southeast Asia. In August 2023, the Commerce Dept. prolonged. the AD/CVD to Chinese photo voltaic producers working within the 4 talked about nations. The expanded Chinese AD/CVD permits producers utilizing non-Chinese wafers or not less than 4 photo voltaic parts (silver paste, aluminum frames, glass, backsheet, EVA sheets, junction bins) made outdoors of China to be exempt from AD/CVD orders. . Chinese corporations working in Southeast Asia have been in a position to alter their provide chains extra simply to stay exempt from the duties. This new investigation will look into ongoing “unfair commerce practices.”
When the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee first submitted its petition, First Solar, Mission Solar, Qcells and Convalt Energy have been listed as members of the committee. Since then, Convalt has been eliminated as a member of the committee, though it’s nonetheless a part of the Alliance, together with Meyer Burger, REC Silicon and Swift Solar. The committee is represented by DC legislation agency Wiley Rein LLP.
Credit: NextEra Energy
Before the USITC made its choice to provoke one other investigation, it accepted outdoors remark. Only three entities submitted official feedback: developer NextEra Energy and panel producers Canadian Solar and Illuminate USA (LONGi).
NextEra is especially targeted on the be aware that the committee members don’t characterize the home silicon manufacturing trade, as a result of First Solar produces skinny movie panels and Convalt has not but produced any merchandise. This might be the rationale why Convalt was faraway from the checklist of committee members.
Canadian Solar designated Qcells as “primarily a international producer” and “US importer of topic merchandise” and never consultant of the home trade. Both Canadian Solar and Illuminate additionally said that Qcells can not manufacture cells and should import product no matter nation of origin, so its claims stay unchanged. While Qcells was based in South Korea and manufactured in Malaysia, it’s presently the most important silicon photo voltaic panel producer within the United States, with 5.1 GW of annual capability and rising, and plans to fabricate home cells. Meanwhile, Canadian Solar and LONGi are two of the most important multinational producers with places in Southeast Asia, which the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee talked about in its rebuttal feedback.
The USITC heard testimony within the case on May 15. In addition to the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee, different members embrace BYD, Canadian Solar, Illuminate, Trina Solar and the American Clean Power Association. Alliance members usually affirm that the oversupply scenario within the United States has harmed home manufacturing, whereas all different members say that since there isn’t any home cell manufacturing, importing silicon cells from Southeast Asia is required.
Now that an investigation has been initiated, the USITC should attain a preliminary dedication of fabric injury or risk of fabric injury inside 45 days (seemingly by mid-June), with a last dedication which is predicted in spring 2025. The Commerce Dept. quantity of subsidies and duties to be imposed.
