Solar panel manufacturers in the US seek tariffs against imports from Indonesia and India

Documents on the website of an agency show that a group of U.S. manufacturers of solar panels asked the Commerce Department for anti-dumping and compensatory duties to be imposed on imports coming from Indonesia, India, and Laos.

The petition is a latest attempt by the small U.S. Solar Manufacturing Industry to seek relief from trade restrictions to protect billions in investment and to compete with goods produced by Chinese companies abroad.

First Solar, Hanwha Qcells, Talon PV and Mission Solar are all members of the Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade that filed this petition.

The group has previously won tariffs on imports of countries from Southeast Asia, including Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam.

These tariffs were finalized in early this year and prompted some global producers, to move production to Indonesia or Laos. The alliance also accuses Indian producers of dumping low-cost goods in the

United States

Undercutting domestic producers

Tim Brightbill said that the enforcement of trade laws was critical to the success in this industry. (Reporting and editing by Franklin Paul, Mark Porter and Nichola Groom)

(source: Reuters)