On September 11, the U.S. Department of Commerce finalized anti-dumping and countervailing duties on solar cells and panels from Laos, as well as India and Indonesia, following an investigation into whether domestic producers benefited from unfair government subsidies. For Laos, Department of Commerce assigned anti-dumping margin of 65.43% for Laotian producers, and countervailing duty rates ranging from 82.03% to 153.67%. The trade investigation was initially brought by the Alliance for American Solar Manufacturing and Trade, whose members include First Solar, Hanwha Qcells, and Mission Solar Energy. The Commerce Department determined that countervailable subsidies were provided to producers and exporters of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, regardless of the degree of assembly. The investigation is part of a broader series of U.S. trade proceedings involving solar products from several Asian countries, including China, Taiwan, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The U.S. International Trade Commission is scheduled to determine on October 14 whether imports of Lao solar products materially injured or threatened to injure U.S. domestic manufacturers. An affirmative finding would allow the Department of Commerce to proceed with final duty orders, while a finding of no material injury or threat would end the investigation, resulting in cash deposits already collected having to be returned. The duties could affect Lao manufacturers and exporters seeking access to the U.S. market, while Industry analysts note that some U.S. suppliers have already relocated production to Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, among other locations.
