U.S. solar firms filed a new petition with the U.S. Department of Commerce requesting anti-dumping (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD) investigations on July 16. (Photo: iStock)
On July 16, the American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee (AASMT) filed a new petition with the U.S. Department of Commerce requesting anti-dumping (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD) investigations.
The petition accuses Chinese and Indian companies of violating trade laws by channeling solar exports through Indonesia, Laos, and India, thereby harming U.S. manufacturers. Final tariff determinations are expected in 2026.
Laos accused of highest dumping margins
According to AASMT, both Chinese and Indian solar firms have benefited from unfair subsidies and dumped low-cost products into the U.S. market. The alleged dumping margin for products shipped through Indonesia is 89.65%, while Laos tops the list at between 245.79% and 249.09%, followed by India at 213.96%. Dumping margins refer to how much lower the export price is compared to the product’s fair market value.
Tim Brightbill, co-chair of law firm Wiley Rein and lead counsel for AASMT, stated that Chinese manufacturers have rapidly relocated production lines to Indonesia and Laos, while Indian companies are now following suit, undercutting U.S. producers with even cheaper prices.
AASMT’s members include major U.S. solar manufacturers such as First Solar, Mission Solar Energy, and Qcells, along with backing from solar cell producer Talon PV Solar Solutions.
Previously, based on AASMT’s earlier petitions, the Commerce Department had already imposed significant AD/CVD duties on Chinese companies exporting solar products via Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia. The group argues that production has since shifted to new countries, underscoring the need for strict enforcement of U.S. trade laws to ensure the healthy development of the domestic solar sector.
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U.S. solar firms urge tariffs on Indonesia, Laos, and India over unfair trade. (Photo: First Solar)
Laos, Indonesia, India’s solar exports under pressure
In April, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) approved punitive tariffs of up to 3,500% on solar imports from Vietnam and the other three countries. These trade barriers have prompted Chinese companies to relocate manufacturing and assembly operations to Southeast Asia. Whether this new round of investigations will trigger another wave of production shifts remains to be seen.
Christian Roselund, senior policy analyst at the Clean Energy Association, noted that between 2011 and 2021, the Commerce Department received 585 AD/CVD petitions and initiated investigations for all of them. Of these, the ITC issued preliminary affirmative determinations in 564 cases, an approval rate of 96.5%, highlighting the high likelihood that petitions ultimately result in higher duties.
Under U.S. rules, the Department of Commerce must decide whether to initiate an investigation within 20 days of receiving a petition, and the ITC must issue a preliminary ruling within 45 days. Final determinations are expected by the second quarter of 2026.
In a broader effort to restrict imports of Chinese clean energy components, the Department of Commerce on July 17 launched an investigation into polysilicon and its derivatives, key materials for solar panels. Separately, on July 13, the Department issued a preliminary anti-dumping ruling on graphite, a crucial battery component, proposing duties of 93.5%, with final determination expected in early December.
Source: AASMT, Nikkei Asia, Bloomberg
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