The European Union (EU) will review its Minimum Import Price (MIP) framework for China-made PV modules on April 1 and plans to hike minimum prices by 5.66% from EUR0.53/W (US$0.56) currently to EUR0.56/W, according to industry sources.
EU set a minimum import price of EUR0.56/W and an annual import quota of 7GWp in an agreement with the China government in 2013 and lowered the minimum import price to EUR0.53/W in 2014.
The hike will reflect depreciation of the Euro against the US dollar, as the EU assesses PV module import prices based on BNEF (Bloomberg New Energy Finance) PV module price indices which are based on the US dollar, the sources indicated.
The EU has decided to remove ReneSolar, CSI and ET Solar from the MIP framework because it suspects them of exporting modules produced in countries other than China to Europe in an attempt to evade the minimum pricing and quota, the sources said.
For China-made PV modules exported to Europe outside the MIP framework, EU will impose an anti-dumping and anti-subsidization tariff of 47%, the sources noted. In addition, the hike in minimum import price will render China-made PV modules less competitive, the sources said. Therefore, many China-based PV module makers are likely to quit the MIP framework and evade the heavy taxation through outsourcing production to other countries and using non-China-made solar cells, the sources indicated. However, the EU is expected to monitor imports and take corresponding restrictive measures, the sources said.
