Australia’s Anti-Dumping Commission (ADC) has ended its investigation into whether imported Chinese solar panels were dumped into Australia.
The Commission found that although panels were sold below the cost of production to Australian importers during the investigation period (1 July 2012 – 31 December 2013), the injury caused to domestic panel manufacturers was negligible.
The ADC therefore found that the investigation – which could have resulted in the levying of import tariffs on certain Chinese solar panels – should be discontinued.
Duties on imported panels could have resulted in higher overall solar system prices, slowing down progress for Australia’s maturing rooftop solar industry.
With only relatively weak incentives for solar (with solar feed-in tariffs having been slashed across the country), the success of Australia’s solar industry is now heavily dependent on low prices. In fact, Australian solar system prices are among the lowest in the world.
The ADC’s investigation was instigated by Australia’s only solar panel manufacturer Tindo Solar, but was not popular among many of the players in Australia’s solar industry, which employs thousands of people.
During ADC’s proceedings, over 30 submissions were made to the ADC by various solar industry stakeholders, including solar installers, importers, industry groups and end users. The majority of these were in support of the status quo.
The Australian Solar Council, welcoming the announcement of the end of the investigation, called it “a win for Australian solar PV consumers” and “a win for common sense.”
© 2015 Solar Choice Pty Ltd
