The sabre rattling over the abundance of cheap solar panels on the US market continues – but while the war of words rages on, consumers are reaping the benefits.
The two major players in the bickering that could potentially lead to a "solar trade war" are the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM) and the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE).
Led by German company SolarWorld, CASM says China’s "predatory and illegal aggression" is crippling the U.S. industry.
CASE, whose members include various China-based solar panel manufacturers, says competition is making affordable solar energy a reality and CASM’s action to block or dramatically curtail solar cell imports from China places that goal at risk.
CASE has called on German-owned SolarWorld Industries Inc. – which has also filed antidumping petitions with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), claiming Chinese manufacturers risk crippling the U.S. solar sector – to withdraw its ITC petition because it puts American solar jobs and the future of the industry in jeopardy.
In an open letter to SolarWorld president Gordon Brinser, CASE claims that in simple dollar terms, the imposition of high trade tariffs on imports of Chinese solar materials would, "threaten the planned installation of solar power systems in the amount of $11 billion in 2012 and the potential installation of $60 billion currently in the total pipeline."
CASE president Jigar Shah stated in the letter that the potential trade war ignited by the CASM petition would actually work against American solar businesses.
The imposition of severe tariffs could ignite a solar trade war that would result in retaliatory tariffs against U.S. solar exports to China. In fact, the Chinese have begun just such an investigation. Last year alone, the U.S. had well over $1.5 billion in solar exports to China, with net exports to China of some $400 million.”
Gordon Brinser returned fire in a statement posted on the CASM website, accusing Shah and CASE of being a shill who simply speaks on behalf of Chinese manufacturers.
"SolarWorld, in conjunction with the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM) . . . view today’s letter as inappropriate bluster from Jigar Shah. We are confident that the Commerce Department and the U.S. International Trade Commission will rule in our favour and, therefore, have no intention of withdrawing our petitions."
