Brussels, 29/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 29 April, the EU Pro Sun Association representing professionals in the European solar industry, filed another complaint to the European Commission. This complaint targets practices for evading European customs duties by the Chinese solar power industry.
The group of European companies active in Eu Pro Sun, is headed by SolarWorld, which submitted the complaint. It accuses Chinese exporters of solar modules and cells of shipping them from China to Taiwan and Malaysia to avoid paying customs duties. According to EU Pro Sun, this has cost the European solar power industry hundreds of millions of euros.
According to EU Pro Sun, up to 30 percent of Chinese solar imports bypass EU import measures through fraudulent circumvention. The association asserted that the “European industry has already been devastated by illegal Chinese practices, and the EU and European governments have lost substantial tax revenues at a time of great need”.
If the Commission begins an investigation into this case, this could involve measures against dumping and subsidies on solar panel imports that come from Taiwan and Malaysia.
At the end of 2013, the EU had already imposed measures against dumping by Chinese solar panel producers and the subsidies granted to them as part of the amicable agreement concluded between the Commission and the Chinese government in summer 2013.
This agreement is based on a price commitment that allows Chinese solar panel exporters to avoid heavy anti-dumping taxes of almost 50%. Under the terms of this agreement, 70% of Chinese solar panel producers committed to respecting a minimum price set at $0.56 do not pay anti-dumping duties. Other Chinese producers that do not want to participate in this agreement have to pay anti-dumping duties of 47.6% (see EUROPE 10902). These measures apply until the end of 2015 but can be extended. (Emmanuel Hagry)