U.S. Imposes Duties On Solar Cells, Panels

The U.S. International Trade Commission has ruled that underpriced and subsidized solar products imported from China and Taiwan have harmed U.S. manufacturers, clearing the way for punitive duties on the imports. The new tariffs are expected to take effect this week. The commission’s finding is a decisive victory for Oregon-based SolarWorld Industries America. The U.S. arm of Germany’s Solar AG filed petitions in 2013 charging that Chinese producers were evading duties ordered in an earlier case by using cells made in Taiwan and then exporting the panels to the U.S. market. The new tariffs apply to imports of solar panels made in China and imports of solar cells made in Taiwan, regardless of where they are assembled into panels. “The decision confirms the facts set out in our initial filing,” says Mukesh Dulani, SolarWorld’s U.S. president. “Manufacturers in China and Taiwan used illegal trade practices that harm the U.S. industry.”