SolarWorld confident as US nears decision on Chinese solar panels

US solar panel producers, who have already won preliminary duties on billion of dollars of solar panel imports from China, appear well positioned to win longer-term relief in coming weeks as the US government makes its final decisions.

The high-profile case, which has been copied by producers in Europe and spawned threats of retaliation from Beijing, now largely turns on whether the US International Trade Commission finds US manufacturers have been “materially injured”, or are threatened with material injury, by the imports.

“We feel we have a very strong injury case,” Tim Brightbill, lead attorney for SolarWorld Americas and other US producers, told reporters ahead of an ITC hearing on Wednesday to examine the case before the panel votes in early November.

“The impact on the domestic industry has just been devastating. I think we’re unfortunately up to 13 companies where there has been either a shutdown or a bankruptcy or significant work layoffs due to the Chinese imports,” he said.

Even some critics of the duties, like GT Advanced Technologies President Tom Gutierrez, see little chance they won’t be imposed because US decision makers only consider whether US producers have been harmed or threatened by the imports and not the larger impact any duties might have.

“That’s the fundamental flaw in the process. ... Nothing is going to change,” said Gutierrez, whose company exports high-technology equipment used in the solar manufacturing process and could be hit if China does decide to retaliate.