The Taiwan Photovoltaic Industry Association (TPVIA) has dismissed speculation that the EU will launch an investigation into China-based PV module makers and their suppliers, including those from Taiwan, over allegedly illegal practice to evade import restrictions.
TPVIA was responding to a warning issued by China's Ministry of Commerce last week. The ministry cited Europe-based reports claiming the EU plans to investigate some China-based PV module makers for allegedly evading the minimum import price and quota, as well as Taiwan-, Malaysia- and Japan-based makers that helped such China-based makers by providing false certification of country of origin.
TPVIA said its lawyers have checked with the EU and Europe-based clients, and there is no indication that such a probe will be launched.
The EU and the China government in 2013 reached a consensus of setting a minimum import price of EUR0.57 (US$0.76)/W and an annual import quota of 7GWp in lieu of imposing anti-dumping and anti-subsidization tariffs on China-made PV modules. The EU has since lowered the minimum import price to EUR0.53/W.
However, Germany-based SolarWorld AG has recently filed a complaint with the EU, accusing some China-based PV module makers of presenting false certificates of country origin or stealthily offering Europe-based importers prices below EUR0.53/W to evade the import restrictions, according to industry sources in Taiwan.
Due to the minimum price constraint, China-based makers naturally use China-made solar cells to make modules ro be exported to Europe and there is no reason for them to use more expensive ones from Taiwan, TPVIA president Sam Hong indicated.
Therefore, even if the EU launched an investigation, it would have nothing to do with Taiwan's PV industry, Hong explained. But if any Taiwan-based PV module makers provided false certificates of country of origin for China-based makers, this would be the problems of these companies, Hong said.
