CASM Sees Big Fall-Off in Chinese Solar Imports, Worries About 'Minor Alteration'
Imports of Chinese solar cells and panels into the U.S. decreased year-over-year for the third straight month, according to the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing. June Chinese solar imports totaled $99.6 million, down almost 60 percent from June 2011, according to the Department of Commerce’s “U.S. Imports of Merchandise” database, CASM said. CASM said, despite three months of declines, Chinese import levels for all of 2012 are still ahead of last year’s record pace: For the first six months of this year, the total value of Chinese cell and panel imports reached $1.32 billion, up from $1.23 billion for the same period of 2011, an increase of 7.3 percent, according to the Commerce data.
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June was the first month in which Chinese manufacturers were fully affected by both preliminary anti-subsidy duties of up to 4.73 percent on Chinese cells and panels that Commerce announced March 26, and preliminary antidumping duties on Chinese solar cell and panel imports ranging from 31 percent to 249.96 percent announced May 25, CASM said. (China has appealed the duties at the World Trade Organization, see ITT's Online Archives 12052537. For details of duties see 12052437).
Commerce’s ongoing investigations are focused on the actual amount of dumping that occurred during the second and third quarters of 2011, and the amount of unfair subsidies benefiting China’s solar industry in calendar year 2010. Final margins in both cases, which are scheduled to be announced Oct. 9, could differ.
Although the value of all global imports decreased in June 2012 compared to the previous year, imports from several countries rose significantly, compared with shipments in June 2011. These countries include Malaysia ($113.2 million, up almost 96 percent year-on-year), although much of this increase was due to imports by First Solar, a U.S. thin film producer not subject to antidumping and countervailing duties. Imports from Taiwan ($32.4 million,) and the Philippines ($39.2 million) also increased, CASM said.
CASM said it continues to have serious concerns about reports of Chinese producers engaging in minor alteration or processing of products in third-countries like Taiwan, in order to evade the antidumping and countervailing duties. CASM said it asked the Commerce Department to address this issue in its final determination by clarifying that such products are covered by the scope and subject to duties.