International Solar Manufacturers Against EU’s Tariffs For Chinese Imports

It is hugely speculated that after launching an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation against unfair subsidies for Chinese solar makers, EU will now follow the steps of the US and implement tariffs on solar panels made in China. In addition, it is also expected that EU will file official complaints against the Chinese government subsidies. Last month, the European Commission (EC) ordered tracking of the number of solar panels imported to the EU from China, which only strengthened the viability of the predictions. Although according to EC, such measures would greatly benefit European and US manufacturers, companies dealing with buying and installing the technology claim that imposing tariffs will damage the industry. The cost of solar panels will raise, which will consequently cut down jobs and slow down deployment. To make their opinion official, 350 companies established the so-called Alliance for Affordable Solar Energy (AFASE). They submitted a letter signed by 1,024 companies, which clearly lists the negative implications that such action against Chinese panel makers could have. The letter also underlines that EU solar producers will not benefit from anti-dumping duties. The letter highlights that the problems EU solar manufacturers have are not a result of the competition with their Chinese rivals, but rather they are due to over-capacity in the market.