On Tuesday, Federal trade officials are set to recommend measures to safeguard struggling U.S. solar panel manufacturers against cheap in a closely watched case that could have a significant impact on the price of U.S. solar industry.
The vote by the U.S. International Trade Commission is a major milestone in a case that has divided the solar industry for the last 6 months. Among the panel’s proposals are, trade remedies, including a quota system, all of which will be delivered to U.S. President Donald Trump, who is set to make a final call on the matter later this year.
Earlier this year, U.S. solar manufacturers had requested trade remedies in the wake of cheap panels being imported from Asia.
However, the move has stoked fears of imposition of steep tariffs which has sparked widespread concern among solar developers and installers who have benifitted from a 70% drop in prices since 2010. As a result, many have acquired big quantities of panels ahead of ITC’s vote as a strategy against future potential price rise.
On September 22, the ITC, in its preliminary findings, had stated, domestic solar manufacturers have been harmed by cheap imports, following a April complaint lodged by bankrupt Georgia-based solar panel producer Suniva Inc.
“This tells you what’s going to land on the president’s desk, though there is a fair amount of unpredictability here given that the president has wide leeway and this president is pretty unpredictable in general,” said Shayle Kann, head of solar market research firm GTM Research.
In its Chapter 11 filing, Suniva filed its bankruptcy under the rarely used section 201 saying the global glut in the solar panels market had driven down prices for U.S. solar panel makers thus making it difficult for them to compete globally.
Significantly, Suniva’s petition is opposed by the Solar Energy Industries Association, the industry’s primary trade organization.
References:
reuters.com
The vote by the U.S. International Trade Commission is a major milestone in a case that has divided the solar industry for the last 6 months. Among the panel’s proposals are, trade remedies, including a quota system, all of which will be delivered to U.S. President Donald Trump, who is set to make a final call on the matter later this year.
Earlier this year, U.S. solar manufacturers had requested trade remedies in the wake of cheap panels being imported from Asia.
However, the move has stoked fears of imposition of steep tariffs which has sparked widespread concern among solar developers and installers who have benifitted from a 70% drop in prices since 2010. As a result, many have acquired big quantities of panels ahead of ITC’s vote as a strategy against future potential price rise.
On September 22, the ITC, in its preliminary findings, had stated, domestic solar manufacturers have been harmed by cheap imports, following a April complaint lodged by bankrupt Georgia-based solar panel producer Suniva Inc.
“This tells you what’s going to land on the president’s desk, though there is a fair amount of unpredictability here given that the president has wide leeway and this president is pretty unpredictable in general,” said Shayle Kann, head of solar market research firm GTM Research.
In its Chapter 11 filing, Suniva filed its bankruptcy under the rarely used section 201 saying the global glut in the solar panels market had driven down prices for U.S. solar panel makers thus making it difficult for them to compete globally.
Significantly, Suniva’s petition is opposed by the Solar Energy Industries Association, the industry’s primary trade organization.
References:
reuters.com
