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China’s Commerce Department pointed that German solar company SolarWorld AG has petitioned EU to launch a new phase of trade investigation in China-imported PV products. The aim may be anti-circumvention investigation regarding certain countries/regions that help China to circumvent EU’s high tariff rates.
In 2012, EU and China had agreed minimum price and volume limit for China-made PV products. However, EUProSun handed in a one-thousand-page document to EU this June and accused China of violating the agreement. China’s Commerce Department cited foreign media, claiming that EU PV manufacturers, led by SolarWorld, accused China of violating the agreement by assembling panels in Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia and other countries/regions. Therefore, the new phase of “anti” activity was toned as “anti-circumvention.”
An insider of China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery and Electronic Products (CCCME) said: “At the moment, our information suggests that the EU PV manufacturers shall be preparing application material instead of being officially petitioning the anti-circumvention investigation.”
EU and the US are two of the major global PV markets. Given that the US has imposed high anti-dumping tariffs on Taiwanese PV products, international trade condition for Taiwan PV makers would become more severe if EU ultimately imposes extra tariffs. New Solar Power (NSP) has immediately reacted in an announcement on August 18, explaining that the company doesn’t help China to circumvent EU’s limitations. Moreover, Dr. Sam Hong, head of TPVIA, clarifies on 19th that the organization has contacted EU and confirmed the anti-circumvention investigation as simply a rumor.
As there is no any official announcement from EU or EUProSun so far, it’s still unclear how the situation would go. Officials, researchers, PV makers and analysts possess divergent opinions toward the anti-circumvention probes. If the petition be filed, the probes might be regarded as an extension of anti-dumping investigations which involves more countries and regions in.
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