On the grounds that solar products from Southeast Asia are sold in the United States at prices below production cost, the U.S. Department of Commerce recently announced that it intends to impose anti-dumping duties of up to about 271% on photovoltaic products from relevant countries. This plan has been questioned by the media and people from relevant countries.
According to the preliminary ruling made by the U.S. Department of Commerce after investigation, the proposed anti-dumping duties involve crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and modules imported from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, and the specific tax rate depends on different companies. American solar cells and modules are mainly imported from the above countries, accounting for about 80% of the United States’ imports of such products.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s investigation was conducted based on a petition filed by the U.S. Solar Manufacturing Alliance Trade Committee in April this year.
U.S. media reports pointed out that some foreign manufacturers and domestic renewable energy developers in the United States believe that anti-dumping duties will give larger photovoltaic panel manufacturers operating in the United States an unfair advantage while increasing the cost of solar projects.
A professor at Cambodia’s Beltei International University said that it is illogical to impose anti-dumping duties on products from ASEAN countries. It will not help the US domestic industry to revive, and will also cause US importers and US consumers to bear higher costs and suffer losses.
The final ruling of the US Department of Commerce’s trade investigation is expected to be announced in April next year, and the US International Trade Administration will make a ruling and announce the final policy in June next year.