The BBC website reported on June 10 that Chinese companies will benefit from the removal of tariffs on photovoltaics in Southeast Asia by the United States.
More than 60% of the world's solar panels are made in China. On June 6, the White House of the United States issued a statement to provide a 24-month exemption period for import tariffs on photovoltaic cell modules in Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia and Vietnam.
The United States is currently facing a shortage of photovoltaic modules, and some projects may be delayed or suspended, thereby affecting the country's overall clean energy progress. In addition, U.S. inflation remains high, and people are talking about whether to lift the various tariffs.
Analysts believe that most of the photovoltaic module production in the above-mentioned four countries are Chinese companies. This move reflects the high dependence of American photovoltaics on China's supply chain and is beneficial to China's photovoltaic industry.
According to reports, there has been intense discussion within the U.S. government over whether to retain tariffs on China. Those who support the removal of tariffs, including U.S. Treasury Secretary Yellen, believe it is necessary to take action to reduce inflation; Opponents believe that the reasons for the formation of inflation are complicated, and the removal of tariffs will make the US lose the bargaining chip with China.
About three-quarters of imported PV modules in 2020 will come from Southeast Asia, the White House statement said. There is a serious shortage of photovoltaic modules recently. Due to insufficient supply, half of the modules that were expected to be installed and used in the United States next year are in short supply, which also restricts the growth of downstream photovoltaic installations. Many photovoltaic projects in the United States are in the situation of being postponed or cancelled. will affect the adequacy of the power system.
According to the report, Chinese companies are the main force in the production of photovoltaic modules in the world. Last year, China’s photovoltaic module exports totaled 98.5 GW (1 GW is 1 billion watts - this newspaper note), of which about 20% were exported to the Americas, or 18.7 gigawatt. Last year, U.S. domestic PV capacity was only 7.5 gigawatts.
In February of this year, US photovoltaic companies applied to the Ministry of Commerce for an anti-circumvention investigation, targeting a number of Chinese photovoltaic companies producing in Southeast Asia. After the U.S. Department of Commerce implemented an application for an anti-circumvention investigation in March, U.S. media said that the move caused shocks in the U.S. photovoltaic industry, with 318 photovoltaic projects cancelled or delayed, and “the entire industry was paralyzed.”
According to an analysis by CITIC Securities, the current U.S. photovoltaic manufacturing capacity is stretched, and the exemption from tariffs reflects the high dependence of U.S. photovoltaics on China’s supply chain.
CITIC Securities also stated that the new measures of phased tariff exemption will enable a large number of such Chinese-funded enterprises to accelerate the recovery of photovoltaic module exports to the United States, and promote the recovery of photovoltaic installations in the United States. In the future, there may be some retaliatory panic buying and hoarding in the next two years. library requirements.
According to reports, it is worth mentioning that the US Department of Commerce said that existing US tariffs on photovoltaic cells and modules imported from mainland China and Taiwan are still in effect.