Chinese PV firms regret US duties

BEIJING - Chinese solar power companies have expressed regrets over new import duties the United States plans to levy on imported Chinese photovoltaic (PV) products.

Fan Zhenhua, legal director of Yingli Solar, the world's largest solar panel manufacturer, said: "The company regrets the US Department of Commerce's decision to levy punitive duties disregarding Chinese firms' reasonable demands and opposition.

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"The punitive anti-subsidy duties will not only affect Chinese firms' reasonable expansion in the US, but also have a negative effect on the development of the US solar industry."

Yingli Solar, which is headquartered in the northern Chinese city of Baoding, will coordinate with the government and industry association to prepare an appeal against the duties, Fan said.

The US Department of Commerce on Tuesday made its preliminary determination that it would levy anti-subsidy rates of 18.56 percent to 35.21 percent on Chinese producers and exporters of crystalline silicon photovoltaic products.

Punitive duties will be imposed after both the Commerce Department and the US International Trade Commission made affirmative final rulings, which are scheduled on Aug 18 and Oct 3, respectively.

It was the second US investigation against Chinese solar products after a similar one in 2012.

The investigation was made in response to the petition filed by SolarWorld Industries America Inc based in Oregon, which alleged that Chinese PV products were sold below the fair value with the help of "improper" government subsidies.