US finalizes tariffs against Southeast Asian solar imports

U.S. Trade officials finalized tariffs on solar panels and cells from Southeast Asia. This is a major step in settling a trade dispute that has been raging for a year, with American manufacturers accusing their rivals overseas of flooding the market unfairly with cheap goods.

The Commerce Department imposed preliminary antidumping, antisubsidy, countervailing duty on solar equipment imported from Malaysia, Cambodia Thailand and Vietnam last year.

Hanwha Qcells from Korea, Arizona's First Solar Inc., and a number of smaller producers filed the case to protect their billions in investment in U.S. Solar Manufacturing.

The American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee accused the big Chinese solar panel manufacturers with factories in Southeast Asia, of shipping panels at prices below their cost-of-production and receiving unfair subsidies, which made American goods uncompetitive.

The group did not respond to a request for comment immediately.

A decision published on the website of the U.S. Commerce Department on Monday showed that the agency had calculated dumping duties ranging from 6.1% to 271.28% depending on the country and the company. The anti-subsidy and countervailing duty ranged between 14.64% to 3,403.96%.

According to the Commerce Department, the tariffs will be applied to shipments of solar panels from the largest global manufacturers, including China's Jinko Solar Trina Solar.

The International Trade Commission will vote on June whether or not the industry has been materially damaged by imports that are dumped and subsidised. (Reporting and editing by Nichola Maler)

(source: Reuters)