The US Department of Commerce announced on January 23rd that the court will start the second investigation against PV products imported from China. This new investigation, which follows the first one launched in November 2011, includes the anti-dumping and countervailing issue against China and anti-dumping issue against PV products made in Taiwan.
PV products -- such as PV cells, modules, panels and BIPV materials -- made by crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells are the target to be investigated. Thin-film PV cells made by a-Si, CdTe and and CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide) as well as PV cell related products which have already being charged previous anti-dumping and countervailing duties are not included in this new investigation. Products involved in the new investigation are mainly listed as 8501.61.0000, 8507.20.8030, 8507.20.8040, 8507.20.8060, 8507.20.8090, 8541.40.6020, 8541.40.6030 and 8501.31.8000 when imported into the U.S.
After hearing DOC’s announcement, the Ministry of Commerce of the PRC immediately expressed their “serious concerns toward the U.S.” as they hope DOC to stop investigating, claimed to use “any method to defend China’s right.” Also, Bureau of Fair Trade for Imports and Exports pointed out on January 26th that this action is actually another anti-dumping and countervailing investigation against PV cell products made in China launched by the U.S. following the one started in November 2011, and the officials conveyed their attention to it.
A Chinese official indicated that the previous anti-dumping and countervailing duties imposed by USA didn’t rescue US’s PV industry from bad business and weak competition. Furthermore, it also brought negative impacts on assembling and down-stream services so the industrial chain was sent into a chaos due to the following global solar trade war.
On November 8th, 2011, the U.S. DOC officially started investigating PV cell products made in china and announced their preliminary conclusions in March and May, 2012. Some of Chinese PV companies were charged dumping/subsidy duties up to 249.96%. However, the U.S. court’s conclusion conducted in October 2012 was especially charged duties against PV products made in China. In order to prohibit Chinese manufacturers from using PV components made in other countries, says, Taiwan, SolarWorld raised a new petition to ITC and the U.S. DOC to charge duties. This is the “new anti-dumping and countervailing issue" raised by SolarWorld, an act of stopping Chinese manufacturers from purchasing Taiwanese PV products to escape from the anti-dumping duties.
Accordingly, ITC held a public hearing on January 22nd and announced that the institute will restart a new investigation against PV products imported from China next day. The conclusion of the investigation is planned to be revealed on February 14th. If the dumping is testified as plausible, DOC will provide its initial verdict on countervailing issue on March 28th, and the final verdict on June 11th.
