On Saturday 16 September, the European Commission published an implementing regulation concluding its interim review of the EU anti-dumping measures that have been in place on solar panel imports from China since the end of 2013. The new minimum import prices for Chinese solar cells and modules resulting from the amicable China-EU agreement in 2013 will enter into force on 1 October.
Overall, the Commission has decided to decrease the minimum import price that is now applied to imported solar panels, with a differentiation applied to various types of solar products. The minimum price will gradually decline every quarter, converging (by September 2018) towards the world market price of the first quarter 2017.
The revised anti-dumping measures on solar panels from China will strike a better balance between the interests of EU importers and producers of high quality EU products, the Commission says.
The sharp decline of the minimum import price for multi-crystalline cells and modules is in the interest of EU installers and large utility companies. However, the slightly higher prices for the high-quality mono-crystalline products will be helpful to European producers who have started to specialise in this sector and need increased protection.
As of 1 October 2017, the minimum import price for Chinese solar panels will be €0.19/W (EUR/Watt) and €0.37/W for multi-crystalline cells and modules respectively, and €0.23/W and €0.42/W for mono-crystalline cells and modules.
Over the course of 2018, these prices will converge towards current world market prices and, as of 1 July 2018, will be €0.18/W and €0.3/W for multi-crystalline cells and modules respectively, and €0.21/W and €0.35/W for mono-crystalline cells and modules.
Imports into the EU of solar cells and panels from China have been subject to anti-dumping and anti-subsidy measures since 2013. These measures were extended for 18 months on 1 March and are subject to an interim re-assessment that will enable the level of duties to be reduced progressively according to cost reductions in the solar industry (see EUROPE 11721).
The EU has imposed these measures since December 2013, as part of an amicable agreement between the Commission and Chinese government that was made in summer 2013. This agreement is based on a price commitment – the respect of a minimum price, which enables cooperating Chinese solar panel exporters avoid heavy anti-dumping taxes of nearly 50% (see EUROPE 11447).
At an anti-dumping committee meeting on 8 September, the EU member states were not opposed to the Commission's proposal to reduce the minimum prices for imports of solar panels from China (see EUROPE 11859). (Original version in French by Emmanuel Hagry)