Timothy Brightbill Discusses New Duties Imposed on Chinese Solar Panel Manufacturers

Timothy C. Brightbill, a partner in Wiley Rein’s International Trade Practice, was quoted in separate articles published yesterday by Reuters and Inside U.S. Trade about new import duties the U.S. Department of Commerce will impose on Chinese solar panel manufacturers.

According to the Reuters article, SolarWorld Industries America filed a petition against Chinese manufacturers that moved production of solar panel components to Taiwan and other third countries, thereby exploiting a loophole to continue to flood the U.S. market with cheap panels.  The new duties take effect immediately, and Commerce and the International Trade Commission will make final rulings later this year.

“This is a strong win for SolarWorld and the domestic solar manufacturing industry,” Mr. Brightbill, who represents SolarWorld and the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing, said to Reuters.

Commerce imposed preliminary duties ranging from 18.56 percent to 35.21 percent, with most Chinese producers paying additional duties of 26.89 percent. In July, the Commerce Department will announce the results of preliminary antidumping investigations of both China and Taiwan.

The Commerce Department found that the Chinese Government provided a broad range of subsidies to its solar industry, including cash grants, discounted loans and loan guarantees, free land and utilities, and subsidized raw materials such as polysilicon, solar glass, and aluminum extrusions.

Articles about the favorable decision for SolarWorld were published in more than 150 news outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and The Washington Post. To read the entire Reuters article, click here.