U.S. finds solar panel imports harm domestic makers (updated)

Solarworld AG

22/09/2017 16:48

(Adds background) 
    By David Lawder 
    WASHINGTON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. International Trade 
Commission on Friday found that imports of cheap solar panels 
harmed domestic producers, and the agency will now recommend 
tariffs or other relief measures to President Donald Trump. 
    The unanimous decision by all four voting commissioners 
followed a complaint brought by bankrupt Georgia-based solar 
manufacturer Suniva Inc in April. The company, which is majority 
owned by Hong Kong-based Shunfeng International Clean Energy Ltd 
 1165.HK , was joined in its petition by the U.S. arm of 
Germany's SolarWorld AG  SWVKk.F . 
    Under the rare Section 201 trade case, Trump will make a 
final decision on whether to provide relief to U.S. 
manufacturers, and, if so, what type. The ITC will deliver its 
recommendations to Trump by Nov. 13. He could accept them, 
choose to implement something else entirely, or do nothing. 
    Trump has taken a tough approach on trade policy and Chinese 
exporters in particular. Most of the solar panels installed in 
the United States are made in China and other Asian countries. 
    Both Suniva and SolarWorld praised the ITC's vote. 
    "The U.S. solar manufacturing industry finds itself at the 
precipice of extinction at the hands of foreign market 
overcapacity," Suniva said in a statement. "The ITC has agreed, 
and now it will be in President Trump's hands to decide whether 
America will continue to have the capability to manufacture this 
energy source." 
   The outcome was a sharp blow to the solar installation 
industry, which strongly opposed Suniva's petition on the 
grounds that it would drive up the price of solar power just as 
it is becoming competitive with electricity generated from 
fossil fuels.  
    The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) trade group 
lobbied heavily against the petition, and on Friday vowed to be 
"front and center" in the remedy process. 
    "The ITC's decision is disappointing for nearly 9,000 U.S. 
solar companies and the 260,000 Americans they employ," SEIA 
President Abigail Ross Hopper said in a statement. 
"Foreign-owned companies that brought business failure on 
themselves are attempting to exploit American trade laws to gain 
a bailout for their bad investments." 
 
 (Reporting by David Lawder; Writing by Eric Walsh and Nichola 
Groom; Editing by Tim Ahmann and Jonathan Oatis) 
 ((eric.walsh@thomsonreuters.com; 1-202-898-8457; Reuters 
Messaging: eric.walsh.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: USA TRADE/SOLAR