Solar Manufacturing Group seeks US Trade Probe of Korea Cell Imports
According to a petition seen, three solar panel manufacturers urged U.S. officials to investigate imports of cells from South Korea, claiming that producers such as Hanwha’s?Qcells were using them to evade U.S. tariffs for Chinese products.
Canadian Solar, SEG, and Heliene all have solar panel factories in the United States.
The group American Manufacturers for Energy Resilience is seeking an anti-circumvention investigation into South Korean solar cell imports. The 'building blocks' of solar panels or modules that convert sunlight to electricity are cells.
Tariffs may be applied to goods that are processed in third-country countries, even if the processing is minor.
In the petition, the group accuses Qcells that it has moved production from China to Korea to avoid U.S. Tariffs.
A group attorney did not respond immediately to a comment request.
Qcells operates two solar factories in Georgia, the U.S.
Qcells has invested 'billions' in its U.S. manufacturing operation and has been the driving force behind recent U.S. trade petitions that target solar imports from Southeast Asia. These imports were used to supply factories owned by Canadian Solar SEG Heliene.
In an email, Qcells spokesperson, Marta Stoepker, said that the company has "led?the effort" to reshore manufacturing of solar panels in the United States. "We have reviewed this filing, and we are confident that the evidence will prove its claims to be without merit." Bill Berkrot, Los Angeles: Nichola Groom reported.
(source: Reuters)
