By Shayle Kann | GreenTech Media
On December 31, 2013, SolarWorld Industries filed a new antidumping/countervailing duty petition before the U.S. International Trade Commission. This petition seeks to close the so-called “loophole” from SolarWorld’s initial petition filed in October 2011 wherein Chinese module manufacturers can produce solar wafers in China, ship them to Taiwan for cell manufacturing and then back to China for module assembly, and therefore avoid a 30 percent U.S. import tariff.
This petition could significantly impact the U.S. solar market, in large part because of its scope. In contrast to the initial tariffs, which apply only to crystalline silicon PV cells manufactured in China, this petition broadens the scope both geographically (adding Taiwan) and vertically (adding both wafers and modules). Here is the language directly from the petition:
If you’d like to discuss energy issues, contact Court Rich, director of Rose Law Group’s Renewable Energy Department at crich@roselawgroup.com
