Legal

According to industry analysts at Jefferies, the anti-dumping and countervailing duty trade case will move to Europe this month.

The Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy (CASE) has today called on the U.S. and Chinese governments to work together to avoid a “destructive” global trade war. Meanwhile, an analyst reports that tariffs are too late to protect U.S. and European manufacturers from Chinese competition.

Yingli Green Energy Holding Company Limited has recorded a relatively positive first quarter (Q1), despite the imposition of preliminary dumping tariffs by the U.S. While its financials significantly improved sequentially, it still suffered major losses compared to Q1 2011.

According to Bloomberg, China’s Ministry of Commerce has identified five U.S. states which have violated free-trade rules. Meanwhile, Reuters reports that the trade case looks likely to move to Europe.

CEOs from China’s four largest photovoltaic manufacturers were gathered today, May 24, at a press conference in Shanghai, China, to launch the Solar Energy Promotion Alliance and comment on the latest U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) ruling regarding the dumping of crystalline silicon cells in the U.S. market.

Trina Solar’s first quarter (Q1) 2012 financials have been curtailed, due to provisions made for potential countervailing and anti-dumping duties. The company also missed its shipment and gross margin guidance. Despite this, it still forecasts growth for the full year (FY).

Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd has seen significant first quarter (Q1) 2012 financial losses. As with Trina Solar, the company’s gross profit and gross margin have been affected by a provision for preliminary U.S. countervailing and anti-dumping duties. Looking ahead, it expects to see gross margin and shipments pickup.

In what can only be described as a “Bizarro World” scenario, even as Canada continued to take the heat last week for the domestic content requirement in Ontario’s feed-in tariff (FIT.2) scheme, legislators in Washington, DC, considered imposing a similar regulation, in order to freeze China’s manufacturers out of the U.S. solar market.

The verdict is in and China has been found guilty as charged – or more accurately, liable for undercharging on sales of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells and panels in the U.S. market.

The recently-established Global Solar Council (GSC) has denied that it was set-up in response to the ongoing U.S.-Sino trade dispute, following media claims to the contrary. In related news, its executive director answers pv magazine’s questions.