Three solar panel manufacturers have urged United States authorities to investigate solar cell imports from South Korea, alleging that companies including Hanwha Qcells are using them to circumvent tariffs on Chinese products.<\/p>\n
The petition was filed with the Department of Commerce on June 18 on\u00a0\u2060behalf of a manufacturing joint venture of Canadian Solar, SEG and Heliene, which all operate solar panel factories in the United States, News.Az<\/a> reports, citing Reuters<\/a>.<\/p>\n The\u00a0\u200cgroup, calling itself\u00a0\u2060American Manufacturers for Energy Resilience, is seeking an\u00a0\u200banti-circumvention probe, accusing Qcells of shifting cell production to South Korea from China to avoid U.S. tariffs. Cells are the building blocks of modules, or panels, that convert sunlight into electricity.<\/p>\n Under U.S. trade law, tariffs<\/a> can be extended to goods routed through third countries when processing there is minor.<\/p>\n An attorney for the group said it was seeking fairness.<\/p>\n \u201cIt is time that companies like Hanwha Qcells,\u00a0\u2060that have been\u00a0\u200ballowed\u00a0\u200bto game both sides of\u00a0\u200cU.S. trade law for far too long, are held accountable,\u201d attorney John\u00a0\u200cAnwesen said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe AMER coalition is focused on leveling the playing\u00a0\u200bfield to allow fair competition across American solar manufacturers, and this circumvention inquiry request is a step towards that goal,\u201d Anwesen\u00a0\u2060said in a statement.<\/p>\n Qcells has two solar factories in the U.S. state of Georgia and has a goal\u00a0\u2060to manufacture all the key components that go into a silicon-based solar panel on U.S. soil.<\/p>\n Qcells, which has invested billions into its U.S. manufacturing operations, has been a driving force behind recent U.S. trade petitions targeting solar imports from countries in Southeast Asia. Some of those imports supplied factories owned by Canadian Solar, SEG and Heliene.<\/p>\n \u201cQcells has led the effort to reshore solar manufacturing in the United States, and\u00a0\u2060we have\u00a0\u200ba decade-long record of supporting strong trade enforcement, not evading it,\u201d Qcells spokesperson Marta Stoepker said in an emailed statement.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve\u00a0\u200creviewed this filing and are confident the\u00a0\u200bevidence will\u00a0\u200bshow its claims are without merit.\u201d<\/p>\n