EU to register Chinese solar imports with immediate effect

European solar industry applauds important step forward in on-going EU anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations    

Today, the European Commission started registration of solar products imported into the EU from China in anticipation of possible anti-dumping and countervailing duties. With immediate effect importers of solar power modules, solar cells and solar wafers must specify at customs whether the products were imported from China or have been produced mainly in China. Importers may pay duties on such registered products if retroactive measures are imposed.

The current anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations in Brussels follow trade complaints filed by the European solar industry, represented by EU ProSun. The European Commission has been investigating Chinese manufacturers since September 2012, and will make a preliminary decision on anti-dumping in early June. If anti-dumping tariffs are imposed, they can be collected 90 days retroactively, therefore from March 2013.

"Dumping is the fundamental problem in the European solar market," said Milan Nitzschke, President of EU ProSun. "China's daily violations of international trade law destroy thousands of manufacturing jobs in Europe. Tolerating this situation will allow China to create a monopoly in the solar industry, leading to disastrous effect on the European solar industry, including suppliers, equipment manufacturers and thousands of installers. This is because monopolies lead to higher, not lower, prices."

In 2012 the United States of America imposed anti-dumping duties on solar products from China. As soon as retroactive duties became a possibility, dumped Chinese imports decreased drastically from March 2012. Nonetheless, the US solar market grew in 2012, with the number of new installations increasing substantially and average prices for consumers falling in line with technical progress.

"Registration was positive for the US solar industry and American consumers. Therefore Chinese claims that anti-dumping duties will destroy EU jobs are absurd. After imposing duties on dumped imports from China the number of solar jobs in the United States has increased. This is the best proof that fair competition is better than state-planned economics,” said Nitzschke.

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