Yesterday, the Department of Commerce announced its affirmative preliminary determination in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of imports of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules from China.
Commerce preliminarily determined that Chinese producers/exporters have received countervailable subsidies ranging from 2.90 to 4.73 percent.
Suntech Power received a preliminary subsidy rate of 2.90 percent, Trina Solar received a preliminary subsidy rate of 4.73 percent. All other Chinese producers/exporters received a preliminary subsidy rate of 3.61 percent.
Commerce will instruct U.S. Customs and Border Protection to collect a cash deposit or bond based on these preliminary rates, applicable to all entries of Chinese solar cells made up to 90 days prior to the preliminary determination.
The preliminary determination in the companion antidumping duty (AD) investigation on solar cells from China is scheduled to be announced on May 17, 2012.
The petitioner for this investigation is SolarWorld Industries.
The products covered by this investigation are crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, and modules, laminates, and panels, consisting of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not partially or fully assembled into other products, including, but not limited to, modules, laminates, panels and building integrated materials.
Excluded from the scope of this investigation are thin film photovoltaic products produced from amorphous silicon (a-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe), or copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS).
Modules, laminates, and panels produced in a third-country from cells produced in the PRC are covered by this investigation; however, modules, laminates, and panels produced in the PRC from cells produced in a third-country are not covered by this investigation.
In 2011, imports of solar cells from China were valued at an estimated $3.1 billion.
Commerce is currently scheduled to make its final determination in June 2012.
by Solarbuzz
