A group of U.S. solar panel manufacturers has formally requested the Commerce Department to impose retrospective duties on imports from Vietnam and Thailand, citing a significant influx of products from these countries.
This plea comes in the wake of ongoing investigations into alleged unfair trade practices in the sizeable solar industry.
The investigations initiated by the Commerce Department in May encompass silicon solar cells and panels originating from Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Cambodia. Domestic manufacturers have raised concerns regarding these products being undersold in the U.S. market and benefiting from subsidies linked to Chinese manufacturers operating in the region.
According to U.S. trade data, last year, the combined imports from the four Southeast Asian nations accounted for nearly 80% of the total U.S. imports in dollar value. The surge in imports has exacerbated the struggles faced by U.S. solar manufacturers in competing with the influx of low-priced imports.
The American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee, represented by key producers like Hanwha Qcells and First Solar, filed a complaint highlighting that exports from Vietnam and Thailand experienced a notable spike as speculations about trade probes intensified.
Vietnam, classified as a non-market economy by the U.S., faces the possibility of higher tariffs due to significant dumping margins exceeding 270%, as compared to Thailand. The escalating volume of solar imports from both countries underscores the urgency of the situation, with U.S. producers emphasizing the need for critical circumstances to be acknowledged by the Commerce Department and the International Trade Commission for retroactive duties to be enforced.
The potential imposition of retroactive duties on solar panel imports from Vietnam and Thailand represents a critical development in the ongoing trade dispute, with far-reaching implications for the solar industry landscape in the U.S.
