The US Department of Commerce earlier this year preliminarily lowered an average anti-dumping and anti-subsidization tariff rate imposed on China-made PV modules in 2012 to 17.5% from the original 30% and will make a final decision in second-quarter 2015, according to PV industry sources in Taiwan. If the 17.5% is finalized, prices for crystalline silicon solar cells and PV modules are likely to fall in 2015.
Following the US imposed punitive tariffs on China-made PV modules and Taiwan-made solar cells, their competitors in Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and South Korea have hiked solar cell quotes to an average level of US$0.37-0.38/W, the sources said.
If the tariffs go down to 17.50%, China-made PV module production cost will come to US$0.59-0.60/W, lower than US$0.61-0.62/W for competitions from other countries including those from Taiwan-based makers who use solar cells produced in other countries than Taiwan and China, the sources indicated.
Due to lower production cost, China PV module makers are expected to use solar cells produced in-house or from domestic suppliers instead of ones produced in other countries, the sources said. This may push non-China-based solar cell makers reduce quotes, the sources indicated.
