SEIA is hoping that a proposal by SolarWorld could serve as a basis for discussions on the issue in order to resolve the long and costly dispute through a negotiated settlement. The divisive trade war first erupted in 2011 and SEIA has been working frenetically since then to try and resolve it.
SolarWorld maintains it is committed to achieving an amicable solution by developing a settlement proposal and organising meetings with Chinese manufacturers. However, it is unclear what exactly SolarWorld is seeking in such a solution other than its general demand that China ends its ‘unfair trade practices’.
“SEIA has been steadfast in its support for the rules-based global trading system, including trade remedy proceedings” said Rhone Resch, SEIA president and CEO in a letter to SolarWorld’s leadership. “Continued litigation is bad for the industry and, we believe, bad for SolarWorld. SEIA’s settlement proposal remains the best path forward. But we will not preclude any settlement option that serves the greater interests of the U.S. solar industry.”
Mr Resch also stressed that SEIA represents the entire solar value chain in the United States – including manufacturers, installers, financiers, engineers, project developers, consultants and retailers – and is therefore committed to finding an “industry-wide solution.”
Recently Yahoo Finance Editor-in-Chief Aaron Task warned that the worsening dispute could spark a US-China trade war as well as impacting US businesses that want to do business in China. A report released in June stated that the dispute could also raise prices for Chinese-made solar panels sold in the US by 14 percent.
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) is the national trade association of the U.S. solar energy industry. SEIA works with its 1,000 member companies to champion the use of clean, affordable solar in America by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy.
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