Taiwan-based solar cell makers are poised to lose the US market in 2015, as a result of anti-dumping tariffs to be imposed on them starting from February.
The US Department of Commerce (DOC) will impose anti-dumping and anti-subsidization tariffs on China-based PV module makers and anti-dumping tariffs on Taiwan-based solar cell makers for five years starting from February 5 but will allow them to apply for reassessment of such tariffs every year, according to Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA).
The DOC's decision was based on the US International Trade Commission's (ITC) judgment that imported PV products from China and Taiwan have substantially harmed the US PV industry.
Most of Taiwan's PV exports to the US market are solar cells and PV modules account for a small portion. Taiwan-based solar cell makers are subject to the anti-dumping taxation because they supplied solar cells for China-based makers to produce modules for export to the US market. Solar cells shipped from Taiwan to China were much more than those directly from Taiwan to the US.
Taiwan makers are likely to ask for reassessment of the tariffs next year. If the anti-dumping tariffs could be lowered or even cancelled in 2016, they could regain the US market by exporting own-brand PV modules, industry observers indicated.
