According to the European solar manufacturers' initiative EU ProSun, Chinese dumping has already cost thousands of jobs in Europe. Only in the production of solar modules some 15,000 jobs have been lost since 2011, as well as thousands of supplier and installation jobs.
Milan Nitzschke, President of EU ProSun said "Dumping harms everyone. Free market companies cannot compete with state funded dumping." The number of insolvencies and plant closures in Europe has now risen to over 60." China's Five-year Plan covers not only manufacturers of solar panels but also the entire production chain from raw silicon to machines, solar glass and inverters. Jobs are being lost In all those sectors in Europe now including in the installation industry. In recent years. China flooded the European solar market with dumped modules, overburdening European support schemes. Hence one country after another started cutting feed-in-tariff schemes and political support for them. Therefore in 2013 Europe has experienced a dramatic drop in solar installations as a direct result of dumped Chinese imports."
Anti-dumping measures from the European Commission can stop this negative trend. Nitzschke said: “The announcement of anti-dumping duties comes for many at the last moment, but still in time. Europe remains the global leader in solar technology. Everything that is currently used in the solar industry in China has been previously developed and applied in Europe. Compared to China, we are still about a year ahead." At the same time low wages in China don't play any role. Europe's solar industry is highly automated and the labor cost per unit of production is only 10 1percent.
"If the EU takes action against dumping, the strategically significant photovoltaic industry can be maintained and further expanded in Europe. Furthermore, a Chinese 1monopoly with all the ensuing negative consequences for customers, installers and suppliers will be prevented," added Nitzschke.
