U.S. Solar Cell Coalition Opposes New Import Tariffs on Chinese Solar Cells

"The vast majority of the American solar industry opposes" the SolarWorld campaign to impose antidumping and countervailing duties on imported Chinese solar cells, said Jigar Shah, president of the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy in a press statement. The coalition said it's awaiting the International Trade Administration's decision on the tariffs.

(See ITT's Online Archives [Ref.12032109] for summary of preliminary CV determination in its investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells from China (C-570-980), for which the deadline for the ITA's final determination was recently extended to July 30, 2012 in order to align it with the final determination in the ITA's companion AD proceeding. The deadline for the preliminary determination of the AD proceeding (A-570-979) is scheduled for May 16, 2012.)

The coalition said manufacturers including Dow Corning and Hemlock Semiconductor, GT Advanced Technologies, MEMC, REC Silicon, and Suntech America, believe free trade and global competition are good for the American solar industry. Dow Corning CEO Robert Hansen said: "It’s important to remember that no nation or industry 'wins' when trade disputes escalate.” REC Silicon CEO Tore Torvund agreed: “Tariffs are not in the best interest of American solar manufacturing, the American solar industry, or American solar consumers. ... No one benefits in a global solar trade war.”

"The voices of American solar manufacturers add to the chorus of downstream solar installers and project developers who oppose tariffs that would raise solar electricity prices and limit demand for new solar projects," said CASE. According to CASE, just the American solar manufacturers alone opposing SolarWorld’s campaign represent nearly three times more jobs than the public petitioners in the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM). “It’s overwhelmingly clear now that the vast majority of the American solar industry opposes SolarWorld’s crusade to tax its competitors at the expense of the American solar industry. SolarWorld certainly dozen’t represent the bulk of American solar manufacturers, much less the American solar industry,” said Jigar Shah, President of the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy. “Hopefully, in two days, the American solar industry will once again be able to breathe a collective sigh of relief and we can then put SolarWorld and this distracting chapter in our industry’s history behind us.”