Anti-dumping duty

India’s Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has determined that flat steel products coated with aluminium and zinc are being dumped by manufacturers in China at dumping margins of 30-50%, South Korea (20-30%) and Vietnam (10-20%). It has proposed anti-dumping duty based on the same to offset material injury to domestic manufacturers.

Citing the risk to solar projects, lobby group the National Solar Energy Federation Of India has asked the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to exclude flat steel products coated with alloy of aluminum and zinc from anti-dumping duty.

Indian solar manufacturers are facing a double whammy with USA removing preferential trade status for India and safeguard duty imposed by India nearing fall to 20% from July 2019. Struggling to find domestic as well as export markets, they expect the government to focus on policy direction, not just expenditure.

While the world’s biggest solar manufacturers are confident there are plenty of alternative markets for a rising volume of panel exports, the message spelled out by first-quarter shipment figures is that protectionism works.

While the timelines for PV power plant execution and completion of manufacturing facilities are now more realistic, production obligations – especially for capacity utilization – need to be revisited.

There was incredulity in some quarters as the federal government raised its renewables ambition another 22%, but the stellar performance of the past four years points to the new target being a realizable one.

Jayant Parimal, Adani Green Energy Ltd CEO, speaks to pv magazine about the recent trade conflicts India is suffering. He talked about the background of the duties, why it all became so complicated and its impacts on installation growth and manufacturing sector.

RenewSys India has filed an application before the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping & Allied Duties for the imposition of anti-dumping duty on imports of ‘Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) Sheet for Solar Module’ from China PR, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and Thailand.

Dhruv Sharma, Governing Council Member, Indian Solar Manufacturers Association (ISMA) told pv magazine about the recent anti-dumping petition withdrawal. He mentioned that ISMA is, however, anticipating safeguard petition completion that aims to protect domestic manufacturing.

On the request of the Indian Solar Manufacturers Association (ISMA), the Directorate-General of Anti-Dumping & Allied Duties have terminated the ongoing petition into imported solar cells. Dharmendra Kumar, an analyst at IHS Markit, told pv magazine that ISMA will re-file this petition in April.