In September 2012, the European Commission initiated an anti-dumping investigation on solar panel imports from China. The enquiry is due to publish it’s findings in June 2013 but the UK Solar Trade Association (STA), said this week that they believe that the Commission has already decided to impose significant import duties to any panels purchased from China by as much as 67%.
The anti-dumping enquiry was initiated at the request of EU ProSun*, which represents some of the European photovoltaic manufacturers who felt they couldn’t compete financially with the Chinese manufacturers due to, they say, the large subsidies provided to the Chinese companies by the Chinese government.
link to EC investigation: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-12-647_en.htm
What makes this case of significance to the UK is that Anti-dumping duties are strongly opposed in many quarters, notably by importers and installers, who support cheap panel imports from China. As the UK has only a small PV manufacturing base it’s progress in PV installations, fueled by the DECC’s innovative FIT scheme, has benefited by the steep fall in prices of panels of imports, primarily from China.
These duties, if imposed, will damage the UK solar market, particularly the large scale ground-mount sector. It seems absurd that Commissioner De Gucht is supporting these proposals, when the duties will actually result in a net reduction in EU solar jobs, restrict the growth of the solar market, and damage Europe’s chances of meeting its 2020 renewable targets.
Solar power has shown impressive cost reductions in recent years, enabling Government to set a pathway of gradually reducing subsidies. However, the cost increases resulting from these duties will throw the UK off course from its solar roadmap. We will continue lobbying DECC and BIS to ensure the UK votes ‘no’ to these proposed duties.
STA CEO Paul Barwell
From the other EU countries, there is concern EU tariffs would be damaging for efforts to develop clean energy utilising photovoltaic panels which are proving to be a popular technology to aid EU countries to meet their 2020 targets. Others fear retaliation by Beijing who could apply import tariffs to other types of equipment imported into China, the number 2 trade partner of Europe.
The preliminary findings from the investigation are officially due in June 2013.
*EU ProSun’s website describes themselves as an initiative of European photovoltaic manufacturers who united in order to promote PV technology and the sustainable growth of the European solar industry, as well as urge the European Commission to restore a level playing field with China. They also lobbied for a similar investigation for solar glass which was launched in March 2013.