Tim Brightbill Talks with The New York Times about Solar Imports Case

Tim Brightbill, a partner in the International Trade Practice, was interviewed by The New York Times for a story on the pending decision by the U.S. Commerce Department on whether to impose antidumping tariffs on solar cells and modules imported from China. 

The article reported that while Chinese companies grabbed nearly half the U.S. market for solar panels last year through aggressive price cuts, "solar panel manufacturers in the United States have accused the Chinese companies of 'dumping' panels: selling them below the cost of manufacturing and shipping them, so as to seize market share, drive competitors out of business and raise prices later."

Because China is considered a non-market economy under the trade laws, American manufacturers, led by Mr. Brightbill, have urged the Commerce Department to calculate Chinese solar production costs using Thailand, which is on the department's recent lists of comparable market economies.  "Thailand is the clear choice, given its growth rate and high-tech industries," said Mr. Brightbill.

A decision from the Commerce Department is expected on May 17.