A flying start to the year saw huge volumes of solar cells and modules imported to India but the scale and value of such products fell over the remainder of 2018 and export figures mirrored that trend.
The Indian government has imposed anti-dumping duty of $114.58/metric ton on tempered solar glass imports originating in or exported from Malaysia. The five-year duty will be applied to products from producers except Xinyi Solar Sdn. Bhd.
Following a petition by domestic manufacturers seeking legal protection under anti-dumping laws, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies has recommended the imposition of duties ranging from $537-1,559/metric ton on solar ethylene vinyl acetate sheets imported from China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand.
From April to November, Indian imports of solar cells and modules from Singapore – worth Rs489 crore, Vietnam (Rs263 crore) and Thailand (Rs155 crore) recorded whopping annual growth rates of 242%, 440% and 2,711%, respectively.
The Indian government may impose anti-dumping duty of US$ 114.58 per tonne on tempered solar glass imports from Malaysia in order to provide a level playing field to domestic manufacturers.
India and Taiwan have failed to reach an agreement at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over the 25% safeguard duties imposed by India on solar imports. The talks, however, will continue.
The award of the nation’s first solar project quality certificate may signal a renewed determination by the federal authorities to crack down on low-quality panels – with Far Eastern imports firmly in their sights.
Even though postponing the duty on solar cell imports from China and Malaysia is not a long-term resolution, it will offer relief to developers with ongoing PV projects, especially for those with shipments in transit or which arrived after 30 July.
The tariff means PV projects will pause as developers adjust procurement strategies and new tenders risk delays or cancellation. The two-year limit on the duty will not be long enough to prompt more cell manufacturing capacity and as for imports, there are doubts over how the origin of cells will be adjudicated so that Chinese and Malaysian cells are subject to the charge, say analysts.
The Indian government has imposed a safeguard duty of 25% on solar imports from China and Malaysia for two years. The Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue) levied the duty based on the final recommendations proposed by the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR). While most industry players are dismayed, believing project costs could “immediately” go up by 15%, others are more optimistic.
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