US lowers anti-dumping tariffs for China-made solar cells, PV modules at 5th review

The US government, at the fifth review of the anti-dumping tariffs imposed on China-produced crystalline silicon solar cells and PV modules, has generally lowered final tariff rates from the rates determined at the fourth review, according to industry sources.

The final tariff rate at the fifth review for Astronergy is 2.67%, the lowest among China-based makers, the sources said. The rate for 21 first-tier makers, including Jinko Solar, JA Solar, CSI and Yingli Green Energy, is 4.06%, while Risen Energy is subject to 4.79%, the sources noted. The final rates at the fifth review are mostly lower than the average final rate of 15.85% at the fourth review, the sources indicated.

Despite the reduction in anti-dumping tariff at the fifth review, China-based makers are additionally subject to US anti-subsidization tariffs and a safeguard tariff rate of 25% (in 2019) pursuant to Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974, the sources said. Therefore, China-based makers are inclined not to export PV modules from China to the US market, the sources noted.

However, bi-facial PV modules (power generation on the front and back sides) produced in Southeast Asian countries are exempt from the 25% safeguard tariff rate, this will benefit China-based makers having set up PV module production lines in such countries, the sources indicated. Since total production capacity for solar cells is much smaller than that for PV modules in Southeast Asian countries, many PV module factories in these countries have outsourced production of solar cells to Taiwan-based makers, the sources noted.

https://www.digitimes.com/news/a20190726PD214.html